Good Enough
by A1terEgo
Summary: Bonnie is a witch who devotes all her energy and power to protecting the innocent and those she loves. Kol is a reckless vampire who has no regards for rules or consequences. What happens when two powerful forces collide with one another? A Bonnie/Kol Fic
1. Bonnie, It's Kol Outside

******Okay...so here's what happened. **

**The latest episode of the Vampire Diaries left me in a funky mood after watching it. I just...urrghh...disappointment can not express what I felt after watching that episode. Though I must give the show credit - after watching what could not be unseen, I was inspired to come up with a ton of different story scenarios. I figured we Bonnie fans gotta stick together and keep each others spirits lifted through these trying times. Thus I'm contributing a slash for those who desire it. I'm not sure if I'm going to make this particular story a one-shot or a multi-chap, I guess it depends on if it's something some folks want to constantly see. In any case, use Bonnie fans need to be satisfied with SOMETHING Bonnie-centric, so I'm doing my part to fill that void. **

**Here is a story that is suppose to happen the day after the episode 3x14 ball. It's a Bonnie/Kol (Kennett) fic. I listed under an M rated and placed it under Romance, cuz I'm not quite sure where I'm going to take this story in the future. Either way, I'm sure somebody will enjoy this bizarre pairing and relish in the vibe that is Bonnie Bennett. (Spoilers from 3x14!).  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>1. Bonnie, it's Kol Outside<strong>

Bonnie was growing rather tired of being unappreciated by the vampires she was constantly lending a helping hand to. First Stefan and his bad attitude, then Damon who practically threw her in harms way, and now this witch who she helped escape her coffin can't so much as invite her to a ball? Of course Bonnie probably would have respectfully declined the offer if there were no dire need for her to be there among a room full of murderous vampires and spineless council men and women, but a little gratitude went a long way. So what did the emerald eyed teenager do instead? Well, on top of studying her Grimoire and regaining the energy she had lost from opening the magic-sealed coffin, Bonnie partook in hours of awkward and forced conversations with her long lost mother, Abby. Of course the presence of Abby was something the young Bonnie had to keep from her father who would be livid, no doubt, if he found out what was really going on behind his back. Not to mention it would just open up more wounds among the Bennetts…wounds that seemed so much harder to mend than Bonnie had hoped for.

But what else was there for her to do? While everybody else was at this Cinderella-like ball, Bonnie was stuck at a Motel 6 having conversations about Abby's life, and the things she did for her "son", Jaime, throughout the years. Suffice to say, these were not the conversations she was hoping to have with her mother: Discussions on raising a child that wasn't hers while she left her own flesh and blood daughter behind? Just thinking about it made the teenager wanna cry in frustration. But she sat there on the rigid motel bed, listening to every word Abby spoke, and feigning a smile at every joke that she guessed was supposed to be funny. It seemed almost routine for Bonnie to be honest. Everybody she knew, no matter what the circumstance, was allowed at least one day or night to have fun; They were allowed for a split second to close their eyes and find themselves lost in a world that didn't involve all of this chaos and bloodshed. They were allowed to be in the presence of those they loved.

Bonnie, on the other hand…she couldn't afford to close her eyes, not for even a split second. She always had a job to do. Always had somebody that was in need of protecting. She wasn't allowed to ignore the chaos and the bloodshed because she was the only person in Mystic Falls capable of keeping it contained. For most people it would have driven them insane to carry so many burdens. And though Bonnie Bennett the witch was strong and able to handle the situations that came her way, Bonnie Bennett the teenager just wanted to roll up in a ball and cry. Cry until there were no more tears/fight left inside her. Fortunately (and unfortunately) for her, she was stubborn and prideful. Meaning no amount of crying was going to change the crazy shit going on in Mystic Falls. So she'd take this pain and turn it into strength. If there was one thing she learned throughout all this was that witches, despite their history of being used and abused by those around them, never gave up on what they believed in. They may have been called hypocrites and all sorts of other things - but when a job needed to be done, they were always there to do it.

And clearly Bonnie was always there…

"So this Kol guy did that to your hand?" Bonnie asks her friend, Matt Donavon, as she points to the bandages wrapped tightly around the young man's right hand. Matt only glances at his friend for a split second before continuing to wipe down the tables of the Mystic Grill. "Matt, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah," the man says disappointingly. He furiously tosses the washrag upon his shoulder as he goes to take leave behind the bar, Bonnie following closely behind. She watches as the blond haired blue eyed teenager shake his head as he looks up at the alcohol bottles before him, lost in a stream of endless thoughts. "Y'know, Bonnie, I don't know how you're able to do it." The young girl gives a saddened look for she's more than confident in what he's trying to say. Still, she humors Matt and his statement with a tilt of her head as he turns to look at her.

"Able to do what?" She asks.

"Be so strong," the boy replies. "Being able to block out all this craziness that seems to never end in this town. All these near-death experiences that just won't stop." _'You haven't the slightest clue'_, Bonnie thinks solemnly to herself. Though instead of speaking what she's thinking, the young witch merely smiles at her friend and shrugs her shoulders.

"We all have our strengths and weaknesses, Matt," Bonnie reassures, "and we use both to survive."

"I don't have the strengths you, Caroline or even Damon have. If I did, then maybe I would have been able to defend myself against Kol back at that party? Maybe I wouldn't be so useless to everybody?"

"Who said you're useless?"

"Nobody, but-"

"Then what you just said is irrelevant," Bonnie cuts off her friend's sentence. Matt can do nothing but sigh as he rubs the back of his head with his good hand. "Matt, if it weren't for you, Caroline and Tyler might not even be alive right now. If it weren't for you, the truth about hybrids wouldn't have come out and Elena would be dead." The young man is silent, trying to take everything that the girl is saying into consideration. "You've done more as a human waiter than most have done as a vampire or witch. You should be proud of that…I'm proud of that."

Matt merely chuckles at Bonnie's words as a small smile stretches across his face. "Technically I'm more of a busboy than a waiter," he says playfully causing the two of them to smile among each other. The young man nods his head as he catches the attention of a patron raising their hand for assistance. Matt starts to make way towards the customer but not before giving Bonnie a warm hug goodbye, and giving his thanks for the pep-talk. Bonnie give just as warm a hug back before saying goodbye to her friend as well, making her way outside of the establishment towards her car.

On route to her car, the young woman is taken in by the sound of a muffled ring-tone going off inside the purse clutched tightly on her shoulder:

'_This is my genesis, a total metamorphosis. _

_Didn't think that I could handle this, but you gon' be a witness._

_Watch me Evolve. _

_Through the heartache and pain._

_Through the way you left me._

_I'll be still here standin'._

_Watch me Evolve…'_

Bonnie ruffles through the useless crap in her purse (she doesn't even know why she carries most of the things she does) until she is able to reach her cell phone and answer it, placing it between her ear and shoulder while trying to open her car door with a handful of keys.

"Hello?" Bonnie says on the other end of the phone.

"Klaus is in love with me!" A squeaky voice on the receiving end of the cell phone is only met with silence and an inquisitive expression from the caramel-skinned woman forms.

"…Caroline?" Bonnie utters aloud as she opens the door to her car and hops inside.

"First he sends me this dress which, okay, was pretty but still pretty creepy, right? Then when I get to the ball he's trying to get me to go on a horse and carriage ride and then he shows me these paintings and then he…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…slow down, Caroline." Bonnie puts the phone on speaker as she tries to listen carefully to the woman freak out. "How are you so sure that Klaus is in _love _with you?"

"Bonnie, please…focus." The emerald eyed woman merely perches her lips together before rolling her eyes. "I know that Klaus is in love with me because on top of giving me all of these nice things, he says that I "fancy" him, which I'm sure is British for love."

"Well I hope you told him to go to hell, because you can't trust that prick."

"I tried that already, but it didn't work. If anything, he seems to like the fact that I was bitchy to him. He referred to it as being honest." Bonnie can't help but look surprised by that remark. She loved Caroline to death…but for somebody to be drawn to her "bitchy side" was more demented than she thought. "I don't know, I'm just so confused." This catches the witches attention immediately.

"Confused about what?" Bonnie asks. It grows silent for a moment. "Caroline?" Bonnie says the vampire's name sternly, afraid of where this conversation could be heading.

"Nothing, Bonnie," the blond responds. "Its just…nothing." Bonnie releases a sigh as she gives a worry expression. This did not sound good at all. "Look, are you doing anything later tonight? I could really use a girl's night." The young Bennett girl wasn't sure why, but the prospect of having a girl's night caused a small smile to appear upon her face unexpectedly.

"Sure, I'd love to. Just let me handle some things with my mom and Elena and we can talk more about, err, your situation." It wasn't long before both girls said their goodbyes and hung up their phones.

Situating herself to drive out of the parking lot, Bonnie sticks her keys in the ignition and waits for the engine to start roaring as it usually did. Strangely it made more a sluggish, wheezing sound. The young girl narrows her eyes and tilts her head as she glances over at the hood of the car. She turns the keys once more in the hopes of starting the engine of her car this time around, but again nothing happens. Throwing her head back against the car seat, Bonnie curses under breathe as she exits her car and goes straight for the hood, popping it open by using the ends of her sleeves as not to burn herself. She looks down at the engine, noticing no visible signs of smoke or anything out of the ordinary. Of course she was no automobile expert, so there could have been something that she was completely overlooking?

Standing with one hand on her hip and the other hand gripping the edge of the open hood, Bonnie stares down at the engine a couple more seconds, wondering why there were spells for everything else in the word but nothing for machines - the one force of "nature" that got completely ignored? An obvious answer could be addressed, sure…but still.

"Pardon me?"

A foreign voice made itself present suddenly behind Bonnie. The young teen gasps a bit as she twirls around to come face to face with the stranger that had greeted her. She looks up at the man with the dark messy hair, and even darker eyes. Goodness, how those eyes were dark. He stands before the witch with his hands behind his back, a small smile placed upon a baby face which only showed adulthood by the thickness of his eyebrows. This face looked all-too familiar to Bonnie as she found herself narrowing emerald eyes at the man in an attempt to think where she had seen him before. Why did he remind her of somebody she knew? When she couldn't think of anyone in particular right away, Bonnie merely smiled back politely at the stranger and nods her head.

Turning his head in the direction of the Mystic Grill the stranger spoke once more, "I was curious to know whether or not a Matthew Donavan had employment here at this establishment?" Bonnie raises her eyebrows and finds herself looking in the same direction as the man before her, staring at the giant Mystic Grill sign that has been the hub for so many meetings and supernatural events. It tickled Bonnie to think that not a couple years ago this use to be a place where stupid teenagers would go and get drunk without having to worry about getting caught. She'd know…she use to be one of them. A smile grows even wider on the Bennett girl's face, and the stranger takes notice.

"Should I take that smile as a yes, then?" His British accent cuts through Bonnie's thoughts immediately as she turns back to face the man in front of her. Giving a serious expression, the girl merely nods her head in response to his question.

"Yes, it is," she says.

"Perfect." The man's smile grows devious and sinister. Okay, there was something extremely familiar about this man. Something that Bonnie was more than sure of. Just the same, trying to figure where she had seen this strange looking man was not going to get her car fixed anytime soon. Thus she figured she'd seize the opportunity and ask the guy if he'd be willing to help her with her car troubles. "My apologies, love - but these contraptions are beyond my comprehension." He gives another smirk before taking a few steps back and turning in the direction of the Mystic Grill. "Now if you'll pardon me," he continued, "I have some business to attend to with an old friend."

Bonnie watches the man as he begins to walk away. The way he utters the word "love" surprisingly brings a chill to the woman's spine. And this guy claiming to be an old friend of Matt's? Bonnie didn't admit to knowing all of Matt's friends, but she was smart enough to know that most of the friends he did have originated from the school they both attended, Mystic High. And if there was one person she was sure she hadn't seen in the four years she was a student, it was the face of the beautifully-creepy stranger that walked by. She was cheerleader once…she practically knew everybody.

Then it hit her. How could she have been so dumb not to have seen it sooner, to not have picked up on that weird vibe the minute he came face to face to her? God, the British accent should have been the fist tip off. Seriously, how many British people were running around this small backwoods town of Mystic Falls? Bonnie's eyes scale the ground below her as she picks up on a face in a coffin. Then she focuses her thoughts on two other faces that the stranger strongly resembles; two men she knew.

No.

Vampires.

No.

Originals.

"…Kol," Bonnie whispers below her breath.

Suddenly the man who is several feet away from her stops dead (no pun intended) in his tracks. Bonnie takes notice immediately, knowing a vampire could only have heard her from that distance. The man tries to play it off by rolling up the sleeves of his fitted brown sweater and placing his hands behind his back once more. Though Bonnie was no fool. It took more than an adjustment of clothing to pull the cloth over her eyes.

"You're one of the Original Vampires," she utters aloud, knowing the man would be able to hear her. The vampire continues to walk forward, still acting as if though he didn't hear a word coming out of the teenager's mouth. "I saw you in one of the coffins." The man still continues to walk forward. "You hurt my friend Matt at that party last night, didn't you? Is that why you're here…to finish the job? Or was Damon kicking your ass not good enou-"

Suddenly without warning, Kol was back in front of Bonnie within the length of a second. His eyes dark and mouth curled up into a snarl-like gesture, and a low growl rumbling from his chest. The young witch had come across her share of vampires in her days, but none who looked as animalistic as this one. It was strange almost. Within the coffin this man looked peaceful, calm, strangely nonthreatening. But now…there was almost this crazed look upon his face while an emptiness filled both of his eyes.

But Bonnie wasn't afraid. Original Vampire or not, she would not show fear in the face of death itself. Even though she is caught off guard by the way Kol rushed in front of her at superhuman speed, she merely grips the car behind and raises her head up high in the presence of the snarling vampire.

"You have quite a mouth on you," the man snarls out. "It most certainly will get you killed if you don't watch it cautiously."

"Wouldn't be the first time a member of your family tried to kill me…and fail." Bonnie was confident in the face of this Original Vampire, Kol. Perhaps, even, too confident. But Kol wasn't like most vampires, especially the ones in his family. He wasn't easily impressed by the simple things in life. No…it took so much more than a compliment, or a sign of strength, or a gesture to truly gain the man's respect. This brave act that Bonnie was putting on didn't decrease the chance of him killing her right there on the spot. Kol figured there was no reason to let go of this free kill, especially since the girl seemed to know a lot more than she needed to. But even still he had to wonder, how did she know?

"I assume you're an acquaintance of Elena Gilbert?" Kol asks, his expression diminishing into something less menacing and more stoic, though his towering stance over the young girl is still accompanied with dark eyes. Bonnie never breaks eye contact with the threatening man…nah…monster, in front of her.

"That's right," Bonnie responds back.

A smile only grows wider upon the Kol's face, "then I guess I'll be killing two friends of her's today: Matt Donavan, and…I'm sorry I never caught your name."

"You're not going to hurt Matt again." Bonnie challenges the man, taking a step closer to him, fists balled up by her side. Now this was a gesture the vampire was not prepared for. He would say he was impressed by the foolish girls attempt to size him up, but he only felt a bit more insulted that she wouldn't show him the respect he damn well deserved.

"Your overconfidence is painfully annoying," Kol said with furrowed eyes before reaching his hand out and taking hold of the woman's throat. Bonnie immediately reached up with both hands and took hold of the vampire's wrists, gasping for air as her eyes widened in horror. "You humans have certainly grown some form of a backbone over the centuries, that I'll give you credit for." A maniacal smile only widened across Kol's face as he watches the caramel complexion on Bonnie's cheeks glow redder and redder with every squeeze he forced upon the girl's slender neck.

But it was going to take a lot more than that to take the Bennett witch down. Narrowing her eyes at the man and allowing for several tears to fall from the sides of her eyes, she watched as a surprised expression overtook Kol's once psychotic look. Almost instantly, the man let go of Bonnie's neck and fell to the ground in a fit of pain. Gripping the car once more and raising a shaky hand to her red hand-printed neck, Bonnie looks down at the vampire who growls loudly in pain. Usually, such an attack wouldn't have any sort of effect on him, but after 900 years sleeping and not having a full fill of blood in his system, he was quite vulnerable to certain attacks that came his way (e.g. Damon being able to take him on in a fight the night before). And though Bonnie wanted so badly to kill this vampire, to end him right here and now…she knew she couldn't. No…that would only cause more troubles between the Originals and the rest of her friends that she was trying to protect, though that didn't mean she couldn't send a message loud and clear.

After a couple more seconds, Bonnie finally stops with her infamous aneurysm on the Original Vampire and watches as he rolls around on the ground still groaning and moaning in pain. However, it's not long until the man starts to chuckle aloud. The girl looks down at him with immense confusion as she still tries to catch her breath.

Kol struggles back on his feet with a crooked smile planted upon his face, "Second night in a row out of my coffin and I'm being tossed around like a rag doll by beings that are inferior to me." Wiping his clothes clean of the dirt and clearing his throat, the man takes notice of the girl in front of him. "If there's one thing I know, it's the power of a witch," Kol mutters aloud. "I must say…it's actually refreshing to see one after so many centuries."

Bonnie narrows her eyes at the man in front of her while also taking notice of her surroundings. Though it would be so much easier to run away, something told her that this guy would just grab the closest "meal" that caught his eyes. She had to think of something that would not only get this psychopath off her butt, but Matt's and anybody else who crossed him…for now.

"You know," Bonnie starts to say as she tries to think of anything to talk about in an attempt to stall the man wanting to kill her, "you're making me regret ever having any part in releasing Esther from her coffin." The vampire who was stepping closer to Bonnie with those dark eyes still planted on her neck stops moving momentarily. He glances up into the two liquid green pools to search the truth in her eyes. Narrowing his eyes and tilting his head to the side.

"You released my Mother from her coffin?" he asked curiously. Bonnie was silent for a moment which causes the vampire to move forward towards her, taking hold of her arm and squeezing it tightly. "Answer me." The young woman wants to bring forth another wave of painful aneurysms, but she goes against it for the time being. Instead she closes her eyes to try and ignore the pain while preparing to answer the vampire's question.

"Yes." Bonnie responds between gritted teeth.

Kol looks at the woman before her. At this moment it shouldn't really matter whether or not the girl is the reason as to why his mother is now present once again, he was hungry and in need to kill something immediately. But then again…he had gone so many generations thinking Esther to be dead - to be gone forever. And now that she was back…well, to be honest…it really didn't change all that much. He still went against her rules and tested her patience ever so often. Not to mention the two of them were finding that even now still they were on opposing ends with each other. And though he was sure he'd still continue on living his eternity the way he was starting to live it now (filled with rebellion and childish/murderous motivations), knowing that his mother, Esther, was still present on this planet only filled a small void in the rather empty man. So Kol did what he thought he'd never do to any potential kill…he let Bonnie go.

"Consider yourself fortunate today," Kol said with a smirk. "If it weren't for the fact that you saved my mother and were a witch, a lot of patrons would have found delicious pieces of you up and down this lot. Though I'm afraid that mortal friend of yours will not be so fortunate." Bonnie finds herself taking in a deep breath and releasing a nervous exhale. It seemed this vampire was hell-bent in kill her friend. The thought of fending Kol off for as long as possible seemed like a plausible idea, but she knew that it would be futile. Not only would he kill her, but he'd turn right away and kill Matt anyway. Then all of this hard work would have been for nothing. "And what should I refer to you as?" Kol asked coolly. The wavy haired woman stands silent for a moment, trying not to partake in conversation with this man in the slightest, but if it would get him on a calmer side, so be it.

"Bonnie." The girl's response is simple. To the point. Kol merely smirks to one side completely.

"Is there a last name to accompany you with?" he asks.

"Bennett."

Unexplainably, Kol's expression shifts drastically. He gaps his mouth slightly open as he glares up and down at the woman that stands before him. Bonnie takes notice of the wondering eyes and is all but weary as to why the vampire is so taken with whatever it is that she said.

"A Bennett," the man finds himself snidely smiling, "standing in front of me once again." The young girl can't help but bring her arms to her chest and cross them over each other. "Well, it certainly makes sense now." Kol's words were falling on deaf ears with Bonnie, and quite frankly, she didn't care. Her biggest concern was getting the lunatic's mind off killing Matt.

Bonnie was just about to open her mouth when Kol lifted a finger, causing her to flinch a bit, "I must say, you are certainly a Bennett through and through. Not only have you saved your own life, but you just saved the life of that Donavan boy I was planning to have so much fun with." Okay, now Bonnie was really confused. "Of course that could all quickly change should the time come when I've grown bored and need to entertain myself…but consider this round yours, Bonnie Bennett." There was nothing Bonnie could do more than shake her head disappointingly as she perched her lips tightly together.

"This isn't a game, Kol," she says.

"True," the man responds as he backs away from the young witch. "But that might have more to do with the fact that I haven't yet made my move." Another sinister smile upon the man's face. "Goodbye, Bonnie Bennett. I do believe we will be meeting each other sooner than later."

With one blink he was gone. With one exhale of breath and he was already taking the wind with him out of the parking lot of the Mystic Grill, taking leave wherever it was he came from. Bonnie didn't know what to make of the vampire other than the fact he was clearly unstable. There was something dark and hollow about the brother of the hybrid. Something that rang terror in the mind of the young witch. But most of all, there was something about the "game" in which he spoke of, and how she was sure she had inadvertently found herself caught in one with an Original Vampire.

An Original vampire named Kol Mikaelson.

* * *

><p><strong>One thing I can say about Kol after watching him in action is that the dude is LOCO! A bit on the psychotic side. But then again, we all like to see Bonnie involve in danger in one form or another, don't we? lol. Though it don't matter, cuz we all know Bonnie's a BAMF who can handle her own. So how do you think she'd fair against a guy like Kol. I don't think he's anything like Damon, so the dynamic is a looooot more different than I anticipated when I was writing that (but it's still pretty early to determine just WHO Kol Mikaelson is. <strong>

**Either way, I'm excited to get some more Bonnie-related stuff out there for you guys. Don't worry Brigade...the time will come, lol. Just the same, thanks for taking the time out to read my lik' story that could, and perhaps, I'll have another chapter soon after. In the meantime, thankz and peace :)  
><strong>


	2. What's Love Got To Do With It?

******First let me thank all for your feedback. I wasn't really going to go through and try to make something out of nothing (meaning trying to create an entire personality from Kol). So I'm glad to see that a lot of you were interested in what I had to offer. And the feedback is just awesome, so thank you all for that. **

**I figured that this Bonnie/Kol relationship would indeed be a pretty intense one, so I had to think long and hard what would have to transpire between these two if any sort of friendship/relationship should come to be. It wasn't easy, lemme tell ya, lol. Just the same, I think I've thought up some interesting ideas that could possibly get these two polar opposite characters on the road to something special. Won't you join me?**

* * *

><p><strong>2. What's Love Got To Do With It? <strong>

It shouldn't have been that big of a surprise; the prospect of running into a Bennett witch. Still, Kol Mikaelson could not diminish the smile that had planted itself upon his face. His mind had involuntarily drifted back to a time he wanted so desperately to forget. A time when something as simplest but powerful as love could tame the impulsive and murderous vampire from within himself. Sadly, it was also a time when his greatest weakness overwhelmed his better judgment, leading him into that prison of a coffin in the first place. The man couldn't help but close his eyes as vintage sounds and smells sporadically made themselves present, pulling at his heart strings unrelentingly. Of course, this short trip down memory lane did nothing more for the vampire than cause him to remember the betrayal that his family had laid upon him so many many years, and the hate he still harbored for most of his siblings.

Kol didn't mind being the outcast of the Mikaelson family, in fact, he preferred it. He always felt as if though nothing he did would ever be good enough to appease the Original Vampires, so why bother? The only other person who got him was his twin sister, Rebekah. They bother were turned into vampires when they were eighteen years old, so the familiar feeling of arrested development was completely understandable to the girl. Plus by them both being the "babies" of the family it forced upon stereotypes that, after some years, Kol was all too happy to play into. Everybody else, including his mother, saw nothing but a trouble maker and a liability to their family. Yet Kol seemed okay with that. He didn't need love…not anymore at least. He knew if he were to fall into another predicament that resonated what happened a hundred years ago, another dagger would surely find it's way through his heart. A dagger that Klaus would probably be all to happy to thrust into him. The mere thought made the dark eyed vampire snarl in anger as the image of hybrid brother floated across his mind.

Upon making his way back home to the Mikaelson mansion that Klaus "supposedly" renovated for all of them, Kol slowly makes way through the large entrance room until he was blocked on route by his older brother, Elijah. Oh, Elijah…always in the way of everything it seemed, even something as simple as getting from one room to the next. Kol releases a somewhat irritated smile as he glances up at his brother with wondering eyes.

"Brother," Kol greets with a small nod of his head.

"Where have you been?" Elijah asks with a serious expression upon his face. Kol merely smiles. If it weren't bad enough that his family was adamant about him not killing about him, now they had the nerve to question him as well? Was there no trust anymore? The vampire merely chuckles to himself, knowing damn well that he couldn't trust himself with his own actions.

"Whatever do you mean, Elijah?"

"That human that you attacked at the party last night, Matt Donavan - that's what I mean." The two brothers glare at one another for some time. Elijah still has a stoic expression upon his face, but Kol is all but not concern about what his stuck up brother thought. It was always irritating to the young vampire how Elijah tried to act as if though it were his responsibility to be the matriarch of the family even though he wasn't the eldest. If anything, it should have been Finn's responsibility to take the role as everybody's protector and leader, but clearly Klaus would not hear of such a thing. "You are well aware of the fact that Mother wants us to keep from making a scene while we stay here in Mystic Falls. I do believe you've been alive long enough to keep your fangs in your mouth, at least out of respect to our mother."

Kol's smug face diminishes as he lifts a hand to pat upon Elijah's shoulder, "Poor, poor Elijah…you're too old to be concerning yourself with what another vampire does with his infinite spare time. It's very unbecoming of you." Elijah's expression doesn't change as Kol makes his way around his brother and continues to move forward in his stride.

"Just remember…one slip up with another mortal and you'll be spending more than 100 years in that coffin of yours. You might think you've got everybody else fooled when it comes to your true feelings…but I know how reckless you get when you become emotionally invested in anything: Everyone has to suffer." The youngest vampire stops walking and releases a heavy sigh, trying not to let his brother's words bring forth the unwarranted memories.

"I'm well aware of what everybody in this family thinks of me, brother," Kol responds. The two brothers are several feet away from each other, though they can still hear each other clearly, "no need to subtly bring up a past that I've moved on from."

"I know you well enough, Kol. Sometimes being painfully honestly with you is the only way to get through that thick, stubborn skull of yours."

"If that's your way of saying you love me…do me a favor…" Kol turns his head back slightly at Elijah with dark eyes, "…don't." Elijah merely smirks at his brother's words before making way out the front door of the mansion. Kol stands where he is silently for a few seconds still trying to fight off the memories of the past in his mind. However the new found knowledge of knowing there's a Bennett witch in town makes it all the more difficult. And what bothers Kol even more is that nobody bothered to tell him. Not even his twin sister to whom he was closest with…at least so he thought. But none of that mattered. Kol Mikaelson knew that if a Bennett was involved in anything, than his older brother, Klaus, was surely involved in the thick of things as well.

Sprinting from one part of the mansion to other, Kol wasn't the least bit surprised to catch his brother in what appeared to be the hybrid's favorite room where he painted. The blond vampire sat on a stool with a compelled human girl standing by his side, holding a tray of assorted paint brushes. A large canvas stands high and sturdy in front of Klaus, allowing him to paint in long deep strokes against the rectangular base.

Leaning his body on the frame of the door with arms crossed over his chest, Kol speaks lowly, "So I met with somebody particularly interesting today." Klaus sighs aloud rudely, not the least bit interested in the happenings of his brother's day. "I have no doubt that you've met her, too…she is a witch after all. And we both know how you like to collect your share of witches." Klaus stops painting for a moment to glance over at his brother in order to register what is being hinting at. A smug smile graciously makes its way across the hybrid's face not too soon after. It's no mystery who Kol is referring to, and it doesn't bother Klaus in the slightest.

"What are you looking for me to say exactly?" Klaus asks as he reaches for another brush on the tray being held for him. "You know what I need you to know - nothing more, nothing less. Besides, you're better off not knowing about this witch in particular…quite the troublemaker she is."

"You do realize that there's no need to keep things away from me like I'm still a naïve eighteen year old, right? I have since moved on from that night you took my last hope of humanity away."

"Oh, I don't know, Kol. The extent of your recklessness goes well beyond anybody's comprehension. Sometimes it's best that you are left in the dark about certain things, especially if it means there's a chance of you jeopardizing everything that I've worked so hard to keep in order." The young Mikaelson vampire merely chuckles as he pulls himself away from the door frame and slowly approaches his brother, shaking his head in the process.

"You mean this silly attempt of you creating an entire race of hybrids?" Kol chuckles softly as he watches a sour face paint itself upon Klaus' face. He knew talking about the precious hybrids would get the rise he wanted out of his brother. "Are you so pathetically desperate to fit in that you think more of your pack of half-breeds than you do your own family? I must admit, dear brother, but you've grown so much more weaker since the last time I saw you."

"You'll do well to watch your tongue when speaking to me in my mansion, Kol!" Klaus throws his brushes down on the ground and screams at the top of his lungs, his eyes fading momentarily to their golden werewolf color. His mouth curls into a snarl and his brows furrow intensively. Kol merely smiles as he stands in front of his brother, arms still crossed over his chest. It seemed so much easier to crawl under his older brother's skin nowadays, especially with all this hybrid creating crap floating around. Though at the same time it was never surprising to see Klaus blow his lid from time to time. He wasn't the best when it came to being under pressure, and Kol would always test this theory constantly.

After a few moments of snarling and resisting the urge to plunge a dagger into the heart of his brother, Klaus finally decided it best to take a step back, reevaluate himself and not give in to his brother's words. Kol may have known the words to say to send him over the edge once and a while, but Klaus had a couple tricks under his sleeve as well.

"Well, if anybody has grown weak during their time on this earth, it's clearly you, Kol," Klaus says with a feigned smile. "Since when has anybody you've ever met lived to tell about it, huh? Is it because she was a Bennett that you've allowed her a free pass?" Kol could feel his smile beginning to disappear altogether as he dropped his hands to his sides. "Clearly you've forgotten how those spiteful little witches can be, and how easily they tear families apart. Is that what you want, Kol? For another Bennett to come and ruin our bond as a family?" Veins begin to slowly make their way onto Kol's face as his pupils seem to disappear behind a cloud of darkness.

"Amelia was nothing like that cheap imitation I met today. Amelia was special…she was there for me when the rest of you weren't. Were it not for her, I'd-"

"You'd what, little brother?" Klaus interrupts. "You'd remember what it feels like to be a human again? Please spare me the poetic bullshit. It was hypocritical back then and it still is now."

Kol can't hold in his anger any longer. Without warning he lunges forward, bringing his fangs upon the neck of the compelled young lady who was standing silently on the side of both vampires. Kol savagely rips into the screaming girl's neck, gnawing violently while causing blood to spray all over himself. When he completely drains the remaining remnants of life away from the young girl, Kol simply throws the dead body against the canvas that Klaus was painting on earlier. The hybrid merely twitches in anger, more upset over his ruined canvas than the fact Kol just killed his compelled assistant. Just the same, Klaus can't seem to fight the smile that builds from within him.

"Now there's the Kol that I know and love." Klaus says as he approaches his brother and places both hands on his shoulder. As Kol's face slowly transitions back to a more human feature, he glares up at the hybrid with dead eyes; eyes usually reserved to those he prepared to kill soon after.

"But don't you remember what you said to me the night you daggered me, Niklaus?" Kol slaps Klaus' hands away from his shoulders as he turns to walk away. "We're incapable of loving."

"Just the same, Kol. You will do I say and stay away from that Bennett witch, or you'll have me to deal with."

But Kol didn't respond to his brother's threat. Instead he decided to go upstairs and take a long hot shower, resisting the urge to kill his brother right there where he stood. It was probably best that the vampire steered clear of Bonnie Bennett anyway, especially since looking at her would only bring about buried memories of Amelia Bennett. And quite honestly, he couldn't have the thought of Amelia invading his thoughts as he was relishing in the act of ripping out some mortal's throat out with his fangs, or taking full advantage of his compulsion and causing the untimely demise of some of Klaus' hybrids. Either way, it seemed that the only way he was going to enjoy himself without that forgotten feeling of guilt creeping back on him was to eliminate the problem altogether.

Thus it only made sense that soon, and very soon, he take it upon himself to kill Bonnie Bennett.

* * *

><p><strong>So that's chapter two. I figured if there was going to be any connection, it should come on the part of Bonnie heritageancestry (I think we know enough about the Originals for now). Honestly, I'm just shooting in the dark here trying to come up with plot that is original and unique to these two characters (and one we barely know anything about), so it should indeed be an interesting ride along the way. Either way, thank you so much for taking the time to read this lil' story of mine and I hope to bring more your. Peace ;)**


	3. Vulnerability

******So of course it should no surprising how awesome you guys all are. Not just because you're taking the time to read my story, no, because of the endless support you Bonnie fans seem to have for our resident witch. Makes it so much easier to smile while typing these chapters (and getting them done fairly fast, too). **

**Thank you for all the feedback that you've provided and I can only hope to take this story somewhere unique. Again, trying to draw out a personality from Kol is a bit of a challenge (only cuz we hardly know him), but its fun to tamper around with his history/motivations. I think at least this way we get both bits of Bonnie's family history and Kol's one true struggle (other than being completely mental). But why explain it when you could read it? Enjoy! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>3. Vulnerability<strong>

"He seriously did that to you in the parking lot?" Caroline asks her question with an expression of complete and utter shock. It didn't take long for Bonnie to get into contact with her vampire friend soon after her encounter with Kol Mikaelson, the strange and crazy Original that tried to kill her in the Mystic Grill parking lot (and Matt Donavan not too soon after she guessed). The blue eyed vampire picked her up in her car and drove the two of them to her house.

"I'm telling you Caroline, this guy was completely out of his fucking mind. You can just tell that he had no regard for life, like, at all. And his eyes - he had these eyes that just…" Bonnie stretches her hands out, trying to find the words that best describe Kol's dark, menacing eyes. "…death." Caroline can feel herself grow nervous at the words her friend expresses to her. Bonnie can't help but bring a hand up to her neck, rubbing it slowly and exhaling in frustration as she drops her head to the ground. The blonde vampire twists her lips to the side as she reaches out to place a consoling hand on Bonnie's elbow as they both sit directly in front of one another.

"Hey, Bon, it's going to be alright," Caroline reassures the frustrated witch, "you won a fight against an Original without the aid of a hundred dead witches. That counts for something…right?"

"That's just the thing. Kol is only one of five Originals that I have to find a way to kill, which includes a hybrid whose going around creating an army." Caroline shifts her eyes away for a moment, feeling a twinge of guilt at the mention of Klaus. "I don't know…sometimes I just get so overwhelmed with everything that goes on in this town. It's like no matter what I do, it's not good enough."

"Well, what about your mother?" Bonnie just scoffs at Caroline's question, standing up and making way to the refrigerator to which she grabs a can of soda. She pops the can open and takes a small sip.

"Abby is…Abby," Bonnie responds.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning she's still pretty much a stranger to me. I mean, I get that she wants to help me any way she can, and I'm grateful that she does. But then there's a part of me that feels like I need to prepare myself for something seriously disappointing. Like there's a huge bomb about to drop and if I'm not careful to pay attention, I'm going to be dead square in the center of the explosion." It grows silent for a moment as Bonnie takes several more sips from her soda.

"Well, you two did get that coffin open and freed Esther. _That_ should count for something…right?" Caroline asks almost sheepishly. The emerald eyed witch merely shrugs her shoulder as she goes back to her seat in front of Caroline.

"Sure it does. I mean just look at all the thanks I got from that act of kindness and sacrifice," Bonnie snaps back unintentionally. She notices the way Caroline backs away and immediately regrets allowing for her emotions to speak on her behalf. "I'm sorry, Care, I didn't mean to snap at you like that." Caroline just gives a reassuring smile with a shrug of her shoulders. "I guess I just feel like there's never gonna be a break for me, y'know? Like every time I try to live one moment as regular ol' Bonnie Bennett the girl, instead of Bonnie Bennett the witch…it never works out." The black haired girl glares down at the ground trying not to allow herself to get too emotional; crying never got her the results she needed any way. "But it's my destiny to take heed of all this chaos. Or so I'm told."

Another moment of silence falls upon the two girls as Bonnie continues to relieve her sore throat by drinking the remainder of her cold coda. There aren't a whole lot of words to be exchanged, but Caroline still tries to lighten the mood despite Bonnie's obvious pain and less than chipper attitude.

"Well there's one thing that can be said about these Original men," Caroline says which brings about a look of wonder from her friend's face. "None of them are two hard on the eyes." The caramel skinned witch can't even feign a chuckle just for Caroline's sake - she just rolls her eyes and leans back in her seat with a raised brow.

"Please don't tell me you think those liars, kidnappers, and murderers are anywhere near attractive?" Bonnie's tone is stern, almost harsh. The blonde vampire is almost too scared to respond, afraid she might say something else that will offend her uptight friend.

"I'm just saying," Caroline carefully responds, "if there were any upside to all of this drama, it's the fact that everyone isn't all that bad looking. Sorry if that's a disappointment to you." Bonnie merely shrugs her shoulders, not at all phased by Caroline's comment.

"Maybe I'm starting to finally grow up and seeing the bigger picture in certain situations - the prospect of wanting to fall in love while all this madness is going on doesn't make sense to me."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…nobody said anything about falling in love, Bonnie." Bonnie can't help but playfully scoff at her friend's overreaction. "And in any case, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for you to try and find somebody worth romancing while all this drama is going on. Sometimes you need a shoulder to cry on when the chips are down."

"Yeah, well, I don't have anymore chips to drop," the Bennett witch mutters lowly. "I just don't want to be one of those girls that needs to find validation within a man; somebody who just isn't whole without somebody else needing to be in their life. I'd know…I was one of those girls, and the feeling of being shot down isn't a good one."

"You talking about Jeremy?"

"I'm talking about Jeremy, Luka, Ben," _'Carter'_, Bonnie thought in her mind, but didn't dare say the name in front of her sensitive friend. "I'm talking about situations that ended before they even had the chance to begin." Bonnie is silent for a moment, reflecting on the subject at hand. It would be so much easier to wallow in her own pain, but to be completely honest, her mind was too preoccupied with vampires and witches and ghost and other supernatural creatures roaming around the town of Mystic Falls. Nowhere on her busy schedule could she fit in "boyfriend". "But you know," Bonnie continued to speak, "I'm not bitter. I'm not mad or sad about being alone. I've just grown to accept that I don't need a relationship to make me feel better about myself, especially if I haven't learned to do so on my own. It's time I started loving myself and stop wasting all this opportunity and energy on something that may or may not be true. Love is a choice, not a right."

The blonde vampire tilts her head a bit and shares a small smirk with her friend. It was odd, hearing the young teen talk about self perseverance and independence - especially since Bonnie use to be almost as gullible and boy crazy as the blue eyed girl once. "Bonnie Bennett, I do believe that you are growing up."

Bonnie stands up to throw away her now empty soda can into the trash, "Not so much growing up as I am finally seeing the bigger picture."

"Well," Caroline stretches the word out longer than it needs to be as she flashes a smile of pearly white teeth. "For me the big picture is your upcoming birthday next week." Caroline immediately notices the reluctance in Bonnie's face. She wastes no time in dismissing her friend's words before she even has a chance to mutter them aloud. "I don't care whatever philosophies you may have about your birthday, but I'll be damned if we don't do something awesome."

"Like?" the witch asks with a worrisome expression.

"Like getting totally plastered, flirting with boys we know we'd never give the time or day, and watching bad vintage pornos all night."

"Don't you do that already by yourself?"

"That's not the point," Caroline gives a toothy grin as she flips her hair back, "the point is that I realize how much stress you've been under these past couple of weeks, and you deserve to have a fun birthday with the people you love." Usually this would be the part when Bonnie tried her hardest to discourage her friend from going out of her way to plan a birthday party, especially with all of the craziness she was dealing with in Mystic Falls. However, she decided it was best just to save her breath. If there was one thing the young teen was familiar with, it was that Caroline was going to do what Caroline felt like doing - if a birthday party was underway, than she had better prepare herself for the cone hats and the pounds upon pounds of messy confetti.

So instead of turning the entire conversation into a back and forth argument, Bonnie merely stretched her hands out and gave her vampire friend a hug. Caroline hugged her back just as tightly, giggling under her breath for the small victory she had accomplished.

After partaking in a bit more conversation, Bonnie got a phone call from an unregistered number. Despite the mystery number, the girl answered the phone and greeted herself. The reception on the phone was terrible (as it always seemed to be in Caroline's house for some reason) thus prompting Bonnie to take her call outside on the front porch while Caroline dismissed herself upstairs to wash her hair in the shower. Stepping out on the front porch and closing the door behind her, Bonnie pressed the phone hard against her ear trying to hear the voice of the stranger on the other end.

"Hello?" she yells out. "Hello…I, I can't hear you whoever this is."

"It's amazing," a hauntingly familiar voice suddenly erupts from behind Bonnie, causing her to gasp loudly and loose grip of the phone in hand which falls to the ground. "All this modern technology you mortals seem to invest in, and none of it works properly." Bonnie watches in shock as she finds herself once again in the presence of one Kol Mikaelson. The man is dressed sharply in a charcoal colored pea coat with similar colored dress pants to compliment the attire. He has a sinister smile upon his face as he towers a gigantic shadow over Bonnie's entire body. She looks up with furrowed brows, her jaw clenched and her head raised in its typical _'I'm not afraid of you' _gesture.

"What do you want, Kol?" Bonnie demands to know. Kol places his hands inside his pea coat as he takes a quick glance around some of the neighborhood houses. He's unimpressed with most of the structures, to say the least.

"Well, I told you what would happen should the time arise that I grow bored again." Bonnie can't help but swallow the knot that unexpectedly forms in her throat, but she refuses to show any kind of fear in the face of the Original Vampire. "I just figured you'd want to finish your little conversation with your blonde friend inside. By the way…happy early birthday." Okay, now Bonnie was beginning to grow more irritated than scared or this prick as she glared at the smug smile placed upon his face. Seriously, what the hell was up with this guy and his fucking attitude? "But now that that is out of the way…are you ready to die?" Kol takes a step forward, his face transitioning into its vampire form while accompanied with a sadistic smile that showcased all of his razor sharp teeth. However Bonnie doesn't move…she stands her ground and refuses to be bullied by this psychotic (if not irritating) vampire.

Kol must admit…he's a bit impressed. The stubbornness of this girl was almost reminiscent of Amelia; the day he had planned to kill her, she too never showed any signs of fear or backed down. She constantly fought back even if she knew that she was involved in a losing battle. But she still fought and never held back, and he loved that about her. Love…there was a word he hadn't thought of for a while. All the more reason he had to get rid of this Bonnie Bennett character. Despite the fact she had a worse attitude than Amelia ever did, there was no denying these two were relatives. The jet black hair that ran past the shoulders, the deep colored emerald eyes and the crooked smile…it was too painful to have this carbon-copy running around reminding him of a past he wanted so terribly to forget.

Preparing to open her mouth and speak, Kol rushed in on Bonnie and slammed her hard on her back against the hard wood flooring of the porch. Momentarily the Bennett witch's vision went quite hazy as it took her a moment to register what just had happened. When her vision did clear, wide eyes found themselves staring up at the face of a crazed killer. Kol is able to smell the subtle traces of blood that is made apparent by the fresh wound upon the back of Bonnie's head. Almost instantly, the blood brings forth a memory that he had long since forgotten. How was it possible that this Bennett witch's blood smelled exactly the same as Amelia's? Why was this so much harder to do than Kol had anticipated?

This should have been so much easier for him…this was the whole fucking reason why he was here. He wanted to erase any remnants of Amelia from this world, which meant disposing of this Bennett witch whose blood did nothing but bring forth painful memories. He needed to turn off his emotions…he knew he had to, but even as he did, the memories ran too deep.

He couldn't forget Amelia: the first girl he had ever loved.

Taking notice of the vampire's distracted glance, Bonnie silently starts casting an incantation under her breath. In no time Kol starts to feel something he hadn't felt in a long time…suffocation. Usually this was the pain a vampire would feel if stabbed near the heart with a wooden stake. For an Original, it's the feeling one would get after being stabbed with a dagger. Usually the feeling would last a couple seconds and then you'd take a long sleep. Unfortunately for Kol, the feeling seemed to linger on and on and on - there was no end to this massive pain. Letting go of Bonnie's neck and bringing his hands to his own, Kol desperately and confusingly tries to gain back the breathing he never truly had to begin with. His face transitions back to its human appearance as he falls back and claws the ground for any sort of "air".

"What…did…you…do…?" he gasps out, looking over at the young girl who struggles back up on her feet. She looks down at the vampire with furrowed brows and flaming nostrils.

"Hurts, doesn't it? The feeling of your life being slowly dragged away…the feeling of death creeping upon you. That's what you're feeling right now." Kol is unamused with the witch's words as he tries and fails constantly to swats at her legs with contorted fingers bent like claws.

"You can't…kill me with…some bloody magic…trick," the vampire spits out, his eyes closing tighter and his breathing shortening with every passing second. "I'm an Original…Vampire…you're nothing but some…prepubescent witch…who doesn't…know…who she's squaring…off against."

Bonnie is silent as she stares down at the overconfident, cocky, and crazy vampire. He was right - she couldn't simply just whip out a spell and kill the Original. But that didn't mean she couldn't deliver pain that was the equivalent of death.

"Mmm, you're right," Bonnie responds calmly, "I can't just kill you. Nothing is ever that easy it seems. But maybe I can remind you what it feels like to be the many victims that I'm sure you've kill over the years. Perhaps you'll remember that this pain will only be the beginning if you ever try to threaten me or my friends again." Bonnie felt a twinge of emotions come forth. She didn't enjoy having to stoop down to her adversaries level of ruthlessness to prove a point, but being around the likes of monsters like Damon Salvatore and Stefan "The Ripper" Salvatore, a couple character traits were sure to inevitably rub off on her. Without wasting any more time threatening the gasping vampire, Bonnie rushes inside of Caroline's house and slams the door shut. As soon as the door is securely locked, Kol feels the effects of the witch's spell ware off and gasps out the false breath he really didn't need; witches and their physical illusion spells.

Staggering on to his feet and gripping the porch bench for support, Kol glares at the front door with murderous intent. He can hear the speeding heartbeat of the witch as she leans her back against the wooden barrier. If he wanted he could just storm into the house and rip her throat out with his bare hands. But Kol wasn't quite prepared to endure that feeling of "death" again. It was all too real…all too familiar.

"Do you honestly think that's going to stop me, witch?" Kol screams out at Bonnie who he knows is still on the front door. "Huh? You think your trickery will get the best of me?" Stepping back the vampire catches his foot on top of something that he picks up swiftly. He glances at Bonnie's cell phone curiously, unsure as to exactly what it is that he's holding. Placing it in his pocket, Kol decides that the Bennett witch wasn't going to get the last laugh in this little confrontation of theirs. He glares over at the bench position right under the front window. With a snarling sound, he goes to lift the bench over his head and tosses it furiously through the window of Caroline's house. Bonnie throws her hands over her head and shrieks in terror. After a few seconds, she glares over with wide eyes at the bench and the destruction it has made within the house. No second later, Caroline is rushing downstairs at super speed, her body completely wrapped with a white bathrobe and her hair still dripping wet with water. She observes the mess in her living room before slowly glaring up at her petrified friend.

Caroline rushes to her friend's side before asking her what had happened. "Kol happened." Bonnie says lowly with hazy eyes. The blonde furrows her eye brows as she goes to take a careful peek outside the shattered window, only to discover nobody out on her porch. Turning her attention back to Bonnie, she gives a concerned look.

"Are you hurt, Bon?" Caroline asks worriedly. Bonnie doesn't respond, instead just shaking her head rapidly from left to right. The blonde vampire can sense that her friend is trying still to stay strong. Still trying to be like a vampire and shut off her emotions all together. How ironic. "Bonnie…" Caroline takes a few steps in front of the girl, taking notice of the way she tries to hide her hands that shake uncontrollably.

"I'm fine, Caroline," Bonnie responds back with a raspy voice and heavy eyes. "I should be use to the world trying to kill me at this point. I mean its not like the same thing won't happen tomorrow, or the day after that, or the day after that - the forces of nature just aren't on my side. I just have to get use to that." The girl's bottom lip trembles as she stands holding herself. She wants to keep strong…she has to keep strong. Letting herself open up to the hurt and frustration that was taking over would only leave her more vulnerable than needed to be.

Caroline said nothing as she went in to give the young witch a tight hug. At first the Bennett witch refused to hug back, persistent with telling the blonde that she was fine and therefore needed not to be consoled. But she couldn't deny that she needed this particular hug at this particular moment. For this one moment in her life she just needed to fall on somebody else for a moment of support. For once, Bonnie Bennett just wanted to vulnerable.

Thus she allowed for her arms to reach around Caroline as she burrowed her face into her friend's shoulder, crying loudly and without regret. It seemed almost rare for Bonnie to be emotional anymore…so she seized the opportunity before it faded away like so many other times.

* * *

><p><strong>Seems like the moment either of these characters let their guards down, they're liable to get hurt. Sure it might mean the same for everybody else as well, but its more severe a risk with Bonnie and Kol. But sooner or later, its bond to happen again. The question is: "when?" Hope you enjoyed this confrontation between our two stars (I happen to love writing chapters with a crapload of confrontations in 'em). Hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter out soon. And don't worry to all my readers of "Same Old Stuff", I will have a chapter ready for you this week - it just takes a bit longer for me to plot that story and intertwine all the things that happened in the story before it, "Rose in a Concrete World". But it will be up. Thankz again for taking the time to read my little fic, and I can't wait to crank out more of these suckers, lol. Peace ;)<strong>


	4. Honesty

**First, I wanna give a special shoutout to ElOsoDelNieve for her constructive crticism, I really took what you said into consideration. I don't claim to be a writer, but I wanna make sure to give you all an enjoyable story as error free as possible. So thax much :D**

** Also, I took a lot of your guys' advice, especially StillStacie, and reworked a lot of the writing so that Kol's motivations aren't too much like Damon's were with Katherine. Thus, I've rearrange some things so that they'd fit more smoothly and without a ton of familiarity. **

** Other than that, thanx to all the comments and opinions, I really do appreciate it and don't overlook any of it. Therefore, I present to you the next chapter in this crazy Kennett story, lol. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>4. Honesty<strong>

Kol Mikaelson lays upon the huge king-sized Egyptian cotton covered mattress within his isolated room. He glares up at the ceiling with narrow eyes and extreme focus of the mind. He barely notices the finger tips of the two compelled human girls sliding across his bare chest. By now both of these humans girls would have been dead and thrown in a dark alley somewhere, but Kol just couldn't focus on the thrill of the kill it seemed. His mind was focusing on one and one in general; Bonnie Bennett. Sure the young girl might have reminded Kol of Amelia, but their personalities were completely different. Amelia would only let her guard up when she absolutely needed to. Other than that, she was as sweet as apple pie.

Bonnie Bennett on the other hand? She just seemed so angry and on the defensive. If there was a soft side to her, it was only reserved to those she truly trusted and loved, because Kol did not catch the slightest glimpse of such a trait within her.

One of the girls, a brunette with smudged lipstick, raises her mouth to the vampire's neck and kisses it softly. The man merely jerks away from the act of affection, not at all interested in showcasing romance to either of his compelled prisoners.

The girl pouts as she flips her hair out of her face, bringing about a voice that Kol would all be too happy to snuff out. "Why do you keep pushing us away every time we try to kiss you?" the brunette girl asks with a dumbfounded smile, leaning her head against the man's broad shoulder. "Are we nothing more than just sex toys for you?"

"You hold yourself to a higher standard than I do, my dear," Kol responds back unapologetically, still keeping his eyes to the ceiling. "You are here to please me than to feed me without the worry of nagging. Nothing more…nothing less. Now stop talking." Kol closes his eyes in the hopes of capturing a mental image of Amelia in his hazy mind. He finds that a flash of Amelia's green eyes are quickly confused with Bonnie Bennett's eyes, causing him to release an agitated sigh. God, how he wants to just kill Bonnie Bennett and get the problem over with. It should be easier to do now, especially since Bonnie's attitude quickly reminded how different she was to his Amelia. If anything…she was worse. And so what if Bonnie shares the same blood as Amelia? Truth of the matter is Amelia's image was, despite Kol not wanting to admit it, a fading image.

Yes; he loved the girl with all of his heart and was willing to jeopardize ever seeing his family again just to spend his days with her. But his overdue slumber robbed him of his memories and his dreams. The motivations he was sure he once had…gone. The images of those he might have once claimed to be important people in his life…vanished. Only the pain of a troubled past remained, and the anger he carried for a family that never fully supported him in the first place. Nothing remains in Kol Michelson - nothing but anger and the lust for blood.

"I have a question," the second girl on the bed with Kol, a redhead, speaks up this time. The Mikaelson vampire merely shoots his eyes open as he frustratingly hops off his bed and makes way n front of his dresser, taking a log hard look at himself. He really needs to kill these two before they talked him to death. "Last night in your sleep you kept uttering the words Amelia." Kol's face is unchanging as he leans against the dresser which cause his muscles to flex and showcase definition among his back, causing the blond haired girl to giggle like a silly school girl.

"And?" the man says lowly.

"Who was she?" she says, leaning up from the bed and grinning at the vampire who is the least bit interested in her. "I mean, you don't seem like the kind of guy who lets any ol' girl tie him down. I just find it surprising that you refer to us as Girl One and Girl Two, but you're calling out some random girl's name in your sleep." Kol is reluctant to tell the woman anything, if only for the simple fact the girl had no right to know anything about Amelia, much less refer to her as some "random girl". Though just the same, in a few short moments both of these mortals would be dead anyway and wouldn't be a problem for him any longer. Plus, maybe talking about Amelia a bit would surely get her off of his mind for a while. At least, get the drifting memories of her out of his mind. She was obviously dead…it was time he moved on from a lost past.

"Amelia was somebody I had seen singing at this jazz club back in Chicago a long time ago," Kol starts to say, not bothering to give these girls any real intimate details of his story. "The club was named after this spiteful witch named Gloria; she was a friend of Amelia's, or at least Amelia thought she was." An angry growl builds from within the man's chest as he utters Gloria's name. "You see, Amelia was an aspiring jazz singer, though it seemed her real job was to attend behind the bar and serve drinks all night. But to be fair, in the 8 months I was going there, Gloria allowed her to sing maybe two or three times. I made frequent visits to the night club and met tons of delicious looking people. Truth be told, many of these people were vulgar and mean and unlikable…my kind of crowd. But Amelia? Unlike most people there at the establishment, she was the only girl nice to me. In fact, one could say that she was kindness was made from the very thread of foolishness. Either way, her attitude certainly put her at the top of my kill list; I couldn't allow such innocence to slip from in-between my finger tips."

"What changed?" the redhead girl asks. Kol slowly turns around and glares at Girl Two with darkened eyes. He rushes in front of her at vampire quick speed and swings a palm across the girl's face, hitting her so hard that she flies off the bed and snaps her neck against the wall. Girl One doesn't have enough time to react to the attack as she finds herself shuffling back against the gigantic bed, the realization of her death starting to become more apparent as the compulsion wares off a bit.

"Now, no more interruptions…okay?" Girl One only responds to Kol's demand with a nod of her head to which he merely grins at. "Now where was I?" Kol says as he takes a seat upon the king-sized bed, recapping where he left off in his story, ecstatic that not all of the important had drifted away from him. "I always walked into Gloria's with the intent of killing Amelia, but I'd always make the mistake of drinking her famous cocktails first. Not sure what she put in those drinks, but they most definitely put me in a talkative mood…so much so that when I now think back about it, I wonder if she was tampering with my drinks to begin with? She always was more clever and insightful than she let on. Either way, the both of us somehow got into this habit of seeing each other at the bar, me getting drunk and talking my heart out to her, and Amelia warming up to me more and more everyday." A smile slowly slides across Kol's mouth. "Well, before long I gave up wanting to kill her, finding more enjoyment in her company in general. Though ironically, it wasn't until I finally decided that I was going to kill her that I unexpectedly fell in love with her."

"And how did…?" Girl One starts to say but quickly goes against it when the vampire's warning echoes in her head. But by that time it was too late. Kol had forced himself upon the young girl's body and pins her hands upon the headboard of the bed before looking down at her disappointingly. Shaking his head and transitioning his face into the monstrous predator that he was at heart, the vampire speaks softly as he slides a delicate finger across the doomed girl's cheek.

"I told you about interrupting me, didn't I?" he says, nodding his head slowly so that that the girl could mimic the gesture as well. "Oh, well…I guess story time is over then." Without hesitation Kol thrusts his fangs into the woman's neck, gnawing like a caged animal that hadn't eaten for weeks. The screams of agony are echoed throughout the enormous room and it isn't long before his bedroom door is busted open and his brother, Finn, rushes over to toss his younger brother off the bleeding girl. Kol is sent flying back into a nearby wall, his bare back immediately covered by chips of red paint and pieces of debris. Finn panics as he bites down on his wrist and tries to feed the girl vampire blood…but its too late. The elder vampire lets out a defeated sigh as he slowly closes the eyelids of Kol's latest victim. Finn also catches glimpse of the girl with a broken neck adjacent to the bed, her head loped to the side of her shoulder and her eyes wide open. Turning his attention to the unstable vampire, the older Original shakes his head and furrows his eyes.

"Have you gone mad?" Finn asks as he takes steps towards his brother. "You know that Mother wants us to keep a low profile and resist the urge to kill anyone here in Mystic Falls…and this is what you do? Don't you realize that once these two girls that you've killed are found out by the authorities the council will obviously suspect us first?" Kol says nothing as he looks over at the angered Finn. "What do you think Mother would say if she were to witness this spectacle right now?"

"I could care less what you, Mother, or anyone else thinks of me in this house." Kol spits out furiously. Finn merely narrows his eyes confusingly, unsure where all this hatred and bitterness was coming from.

"You're putting us all at risk, Kol."

"Risk of what? I am one of the first original vampires ever created…the only thing I have to fear is the day when I nearly drink this world dry of blood. And then and only then will I learn of this word _'fear'_." With that, Kol gives a sarcastic smirk before turning to grab Bonnie Bennett's cell phone off the top of his dresser. Making way out of his room, Finn calls out to his rebellious and troublesome brother once more.

"Where do you think you're going?" the slick haired man asks his worriedly. "I'm not about to clean up the mess _you've_ created."

Kol doesn't even bother to turn around to respond to his brother's comment before opening his mouth, "then get one of Niklaus' precious hybrids to clean it up." And with that, Kol takes leave outside the back porch of the mansion where he plans to make a very important phone call.

* * *

><p>Bonnie Bennett tried to forget the happenings of what transpired the day prior. In the course of a couple months she was already squaring off against a psychotic vampire doppelganger, ghosts, werewolves, and now an entire family of the world's first vampires; the source of evil itself. What had her life deduce to? Was this really the route in which she was suppose to take, or was nature just giving the girl a gigantic middle finger for upsetting the balance of nature over and over again? Whatever the case may be, Bonnie seriously was having doubts about her "calling", or whatever it was referred to when one became a witch. Just the same…the sooner she could get this Original business out of the way, the better.<p>

In the middle of Bonnie laying comfortably on her couch and watching reruns of he favorite television show, the house phone rang violently on the stand next to her. Groaning impatiently as she lifts herself up, the young girl glares down at the caller id and found herself seething almost instantly. Upon the green screen to the slick black phone reads her name and cell phone number - the cell phone number to the cell phone she knew Kol Mikaelson currently had possession of..

Every ring that goes by only seems to boil the blood of the Bennett witch with immense irritation. It was bad enough the vampire seemed to be everywhere she turned, but now he was calling her at her house?

The fuck was that about?

Bonnie couldn't help but curse under her breath as she reached over for the phone and angrily pressed down on the answer key upon it. "What!" the young girl blurts out angrily, shooting up from the couch with a hand on her hip. A low subtle chuckle is faint on the opposing end of the phone.

"Well…that's certainly no way to answer a phone, now is it?" Kol's voice was calm, collected and without a trace of insanity behind it. Okay…maybe just a bit of insanity, but nothing too threatening. He was glad that Rebekah had taught him to use this strange contraption, otherwise he might not have been able to relish in the witch's brief moment of frustration.

"What the hell do you want?" Bonnie's question is filled with acid behind every word.

"To talk," Kol responds as he stretches himself out upon a steel chair situated behind the Mikaelson mansion. He's still dressed in nothing but silk pajama pants that cut just barely below the waist though there are traces all over from his earlier victims. There is also blood smeared and dry upon his hands and bare chest, but he doesn't care. "Why…are you busy?"

"As a matter of fact I am…I'm busy trying to find a way to permanently kill you."

"Really, now? Then tell me, how's that working out for you?" It goes silent for a moment which only brings about another low chuckle from Kol Mikaelson. He loves the feeling of having the upper hand in any situation. "That's what I thought," he says snidely.

Bonnie starts to pace impatiently back and forth in front of her couch, wishing she had some way of spelling her cell phone to explode in the arrogant vampire's face. That'd be something she would pay to see. "Kol, I don't have time for you right now, alright?"

"Well I've got all the time I the world for you, Miss Bennett. I guess that's the beauty of eternal damnation." Bonnie is unsure how to respond to the man's words, baffled with how exactly to take his statement at face value. "I'm just calling to let you know that I've grown quite tired of trying to kill you without much success. Maybe it was my centuries long slumber that has weakened me in a sense, but should I ever reconsider wanting to kill you, I want to be in tip-top shape for such an occasion. Until then, I want us to make nice with one another."

"Meaning what exactly?" Bonnie asks suspiciously.

"Meaning I want us to make nice; transition into friendly rivals, if nothing else."

"Then what? I get a free pass from death that'll least me all a day, and then its right back to you throwing porch furniture through windows."

"I was merely expressing myself," Kol says seriously to which Bonnie laughs at in disbelief. This guy was more delusional that she pegged him out to be.

"Look, Kol," Bonnie says aloud as she stops her constant pacing in front of the couch, "if you really want to get on my good side, then you'll do well to remember that I don't find the deaths of innocents to be anywhere near commendable. Stop harming the people of Mystic Falls." The man can do nothing but chuckle at the timing of the young teens request, especially since he was covered in the blood of two Mystic Falls residents.

"I promise nothing," Kol says arrogantly.

"Then this conversation is a waste of both of our time - but especially mine." Bonnie presses a button on the phone that disconnect Kol. She flops back down on the couch behind her and lifts a hand to her head, combing her hair with her fingers while releasing a frustrated sigh. For two minutes the girl is unable to do anything but sit there and contemplate everything that is going on around her. No teenage girl should have to endure what she did…not even a witch as powerful as Emily Bennett. Just then, the phone still held tightly in her hands rang again. Bonnie looked down at the caller id and, surprise - surprise, it was Kol again. She reluctantly answers it and hears the sound of heavy breathing on the other end.

"That was incredible rude," Kol says after a couple seconds of silence. "I'm sitting here talking for two minutes when I've come to the realization that you are no longer on the opposing end."

Bonnie smiles at the man's anger, taking comfort in his overwhelming irritation, "Well I figured if there was anybody you'd want to talk to more than me, it was yourself."

"As true as that may be," he responds, "today is unfortunately not one of those days."

"Listen Kol, I don't make it a habit of playing nice with those I don't like." _'With the possible exception of Damon Salvatore'_, she thinks to herself. "So whatever nice act you're trying to pull…save it for somebody with at least half a brain. Don't insult my intelligence."

"You make it very difficult to be friends with you, Miss Bennett."

"I'm not in the business of making friends. And stop calling me Miss Bennett - I'm not as old as you are."

"Maybe not in vampire years. However if we were to go by humans calculations, both you and I will be eighteen years of age once your birth date gets here." It grows silent for a moment as Bonnie has to come to remember the day before when Kol was creeping outside of Caroline's house, listening on the conversation she had with the blonde. She merely smiles, not allowing for the vampire's knowledge to bother her. "Hello?" Kol calls out worriedly. "Dammnit, why does she keep hanging up on me?"

"S_he _hasn't," Bonnie reassures the vampire before he attempts to redial her again for the second time today. "_I'm_ just not going to have this conversation with you over the phone."

"Then how about we have this conversation face to face?" Kol suggests, raising a eyebrow from the caramel skinned teen.

"I'd rather not." Bonnie responds back coldly. Kol can't help but snicker as he licks his fingers with some of the dried blood.

"Oh, come Bonnie. Take a chance and live a little. Who knows…I might even be able to tell you something about your history." The girl can't help but scoff at Kol's proposal.

"The answer is _'no'_, Kol."

"Then I'll be forced to kill that friend Caroline's of yours." Bonnie grows tense and silent as she tries not to let her worry show through her voice.

"Why would do something like that?" she asks, confused as to why somebody would be so evil as to do something that wicked.

"Because from what I gathered in that conversation yesterday, my brother seems to fancy this girl more than anyone in our family could have guess. Sort of how my sister, Rebekah, is smitten with that Donovan boy. I myself don't see the appeal in any of you lot in Mystic Falls…but you certainly have become quite the collateral damage."

"You would kill Caroline simply because I refuse to come meet you?" Bonnie screams out her question, her body beginning to shake uncontrollably.

"Yes," Kol responds back calmly. "Though to be fair, I had already come up with the idea of killing the blonde in the hopes of getting back at my brother…but now that decision lies in your hands. Will she die because of Klaus or because of you?" Bonnie feels her ears warm with anger. Her teeth clench together and her head raises, despite there being nobody present in the room. She wants to reach through the phone right now and beat the living shit out of that sadistic prick Kol. But she has to stay strong. She has to keep her composure and stay head strong. If there was one thing this man thrives on, it was fear...she knew that now.

"Where do we meet?" Bonnie asks lowly; Its almost as if though she can feel the slimy smile of the Original Vampire on the other end.

"How about the middle of town square? Plenty of open space…lots of potential victims." The girl can do nothing but roll her eyes in disgust as she scoffs at the man's comment. "Oh, don't be so uptight. Think of it this way: you've just saved the life of that Donovan boy, that Forbes girl, and unearthed my mother from a near-eternal slumber all in the span of a week. You should consider yourself quite the accomplished witch."

"Save me the bullshit and just tell me when to be at the town square?"

"How does seven this evening sound?"

"Whatever."

It grows silent for a moment as Kol's cockiness and Bonnie's frustration overwhelm the conversation.

"Well on that note," Kol says, "See ya soon."

With that, Kol hangs up the phone and leaves Bonnie sitting on her couch questioning what she had just done. Leaning her head back against the couch and gaping her mouth open, the young witch can't help but let out a laugh of defeat.

"Fuck my life," she utters.

* * *

><p><strong>Getting more interesting? I sure hope so! I any case, I'm going to wait a while (like a day) before starting the next chapter. Wanna borrow a few more character traits from the show before I drift too far from what's cannon. In any case, its kind of fun to write this crazy guy, and its even more fun to pair Bonnie against him. In any case, hope you enjoyed the chapter and I can't to deliver more to you all. Peace. <strong>


	5. Feelings

**Yeah, its been a while...but y'know how it gets when life hands you lemons; you make lemon-grenades, lol.  
><strong>

**First, things first. It has been really hard guyz to keep motivated. On top of being extremely busy, and the show just frustrating the living hell out of me...I just wasn't motivated to keep at this story. Though I got some of that motivation back, I can't say its at 100%. Even still, I want to send a special "Thank You" to Madelines for bringing my attention back to certain features of this story. Thnx much. Either way, I'm going to try to keep this story updated when I have the free time, but that may again take some time. EIther way, I'm sorry to those who have waited for this update. When life gets crazy, it gets crazy. Just the same, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 5 - Feelings<span>**

Bonnie slowly makes her way to the middle of town square, the trademark stone-clock pillar increasing in size with each step taken forward. She's still trying to piece together why on earth she had agreed to something so ridiculous as to meeting with an Original Vampire. Sure it was to keep her friend Caroline safe and out of harms' way, but then that meant Bonnie had to once again place herself in the way of danger. And though she'd never go so far as to say she regretted making the decision to keep her friend safe, she was however beginning to question when she would no longer have to be the sacrificial lamb for everybody in the town of Mystic Falls? When the chips are all down and the resident witch is no longer in service, who was going to step forth and make the sacrifice to keep everybody…well…alive?

It was kind of a loaded question to be honest. Sure Elena, Stefan, hell even Damon, would step up to do their parts in ridding this town of characters like Klaus and Kol. Though it went without saying that none of them possessed the power to properly step forth and challenge it head on; The issues that everybody was dealing with always revolved around something magical, and Bonnie just so happened to be the convenient witch to solve these magical problems…

Yippe.

Thus it begged the question; when Bonnie was in need of protecting, who was going to protect her?

Who was going to save the savior?

"You look deep in thought," a voice suddenly emerges, cutting through Bonnie's thoughts, causing her to let out a short gasp in surprise. She stands with a hand on her chest, allowing emerald eyes to pierce through Kol Mikaelson angrily. Crossing her arms over her chest immediately, Bonnie stands in front of the grinning vampire with a less than happy expression.

"Nothing I'd share with the likes of you," Bonnie snaps backs at the vampire. Kol only grins wider as he takes a small step towards the witch who, naturally, takes a step back. Shrugging his shoulders and turning on his heels, Kol glances out at the town square and the crescent moon settled high in the night sky. The chillness in the air is only fitting for a man like Kol Mikaelson, and the smell of blood radiating from the pedestrians nearby can only provide what he imagines to be a perfect night for feasting. But first thing was first - Bonnie Bennett. "So I'm here…what do you want?" Bonnie asks irritated.

"To talk," the man responds playfully.

"And?" Bonnie presses on, trying to discover the truth as quickly as possible. Kol can do nothing more but roll his eyes as he places his hands within the pockets of his coat. Bonnie can't help but notice the change of attire upon the man; jeans, a dress shirt underneath a black pea coat, and black dress shoes. One would think they were looking at some rich kid from the Lockwood's neck of the woods, but Bonnie knew much better. No amount of clothing would be able to hide the monster that she saw within.

"Walk with me." The tone of Kol's voice is stern, almost demanding. Bonnie barely moves an inch as she stands with her arms still crossed over her chest. The vampire can do nothing but muster up a small chuckle as he throws his head back in minuet frustration. "Do you really want me to kill that Caroline, then?"

"You won't touch her." Bonnie's words come out less of an observation and more of a threat. Kol immediately takes notice of the tone and feels the expression on his face begin to diminish.

"Then I'll have to resort to killing somebody right here, right now," Kol responds, "because I have nothing to fear from the likes of you, little witch. Let's see…ah! That infant over there with it's mother; they look quite delicious, wouldn't you agree?" Bonnie can't help but shift her eyes in the direction of the mother and baby positioned on a bench in the distance. Despite how much she hates to show signs of weakness in the face of her adversaries, there's no denying that the solemn look in her green eyes dissipates the once tough act she was portraying mere seconds ago. This more than appeases the Original as he stretches a hand out, prompting the two of them to begin slowly walking further into the square.

It's quiet for a while as no words between the two are exchanged. Bonnie walks with her hands still crossed over her chest while an expression of pure anger surrounds her heart shaped face. Kol, on the other hand, is steadily kicking along a small rock upon the concrete path, a carefree smile plastered upon his face as he takes in the aroma of blood surrounding him.

"It's a beautiful night, wouldn't you agree?" Kol asks. Bonnie does not even attempt to respond. She continues to walk forth with Kol at her side in silence. The Original Vampire can do nothing more than chuckle at the girl's stubbornness. "You certainly are a feisty one aren't ya? Clearly there's no breaking through that hard exterior you build around yourself."

"Only to keep the likes of psychopaths like you away," the young girl responds back angrily. Kol raises a hand up to his chest and gives a mock expression of shock before reverting back to his slimy grin.

"Relax, little witch," the man continues, "if I wanted you dead I would have killed you by now." Bonnie can't help but scoff at the man's overconfident remark.

"You know, you're beginning to sound a lot like your deranged hybrid-brother which, I must admit, is kind of pathetic." The young man stops in his steps and swiftly grabs from Bonnie's arm. He squeezes hard and glares at the woman with a cold stare. A growl slowly creeps from his mouth as he furrows his eyebrows and speaks in between gritted teeth.

"I am nothing like Niklaus." Kol's words are etched with anger and warning. "You'll do well to remember that if you don't fancy having your heart gnawed from your chest." Startled and temporarily dazed from the pain on her pain, Bonnie stands still as a statue while glaring at the fuming vampire before her. Of course, not liking being manhandled, the young witch snatches her arm away from the man and takes a couple steps away. She watches as Kol slowly works another smile across his face. He lifts a finger to point at Bonnie, shaking it tauntingly at the young girl. "That tongue of yours carries more power in it than your Grimoire. Quite impressive." Bonnie looks shocked to hear that Kol has knowledge of her book of spells. Then again, his mother is the Original Witch, so it wasn't necessarily that surprising.

"I agreed to meet with you here," Bonnie starts to say, "not to be manhandled like some rag doll. Touch me again, and there will be consequences."

Kol scoffs at the witch's words but is not naïve enough to completely ignore them. If there was one thing this girl had proven to him earlier, it was her strength. "Trust me, darling…when I manhandle you, you'll know it. Until then, why don't you be a good little girl and relax, okay? And remember, never put me in the same class as my brother, or any of my other brothers. Now…shall we continue?" Bonnie is at first reluctant yet somehow finds herself beginning to walk forward with Kol alongside her. "So tell me," Kol continues to speak, hands held behind his back, "how exactly did you manage to release my mother from that coffin?"

Bonnie responds to Kol lowly, "I did a spell."

"Obviously," Kol says with a scoff. "But how?"

"My mother…she helped me."

"And?"

"And it worked."

"And?"

It's Bonnie who lets out an irritated sigh this time before blurting out her next sentence. "And now that you and your siblings got her back, why don't you all just leave us alone? If anything, the only vampire my friends and I are concerned with is Klaus. So long as none of you try to pull on us what Elijah did a while ago, then there shouldn't be an issue." Kol tilts his head to the side as he listens to Bonnie rant. "To be honest, I don't see why you and the rest of your family haven't killed Klaus already. He's single handedly almost destroyed your family, and yet you take out all your anger and rage on innocent people. My friends!" Momentarily a blank expression surrounds the vampire's face before he grows back his smile.

"It's funny what one will do for family. Especially family that has abandoned you and labeled you as nothing more than a burden." Kol can see the look of hesitation upon Bonnie's face through his peripheral. She wants to comment on the man's words but quickly goes against it. The last person Kol needed to more information on was her mother, Abbey. "Got something to share?" the man asks with a smile. The young girl merely turns her head away in response, not dignifying his question with words. Kol just smiles wider as he shakes his head. "Not that its any of your concern, but I would like nothing more than to see my brother's head on a pike right now. To see him cry in agony as I slowly rip his heart from his chest. Only by the will and words of my mother is he still breathing. That, and the whole hybrid nonsense…being practically indestructible and all." Kol chuckles, realizing how his family is always getting in the way of his plans of death and destruction. "But I know better than my mother. Her need for her family to be whole again will be the very weakness Niklaus will exploit to kill her once again. But I won't be around to safe her. She of all people should know what it means to care in this family. Emotions: the one thing that separates humans from vampires."

"That's a poor excuse," Bonnie responds back sternly, "you have the power to keep your humanity in tact, but you choose not to." The duo stops walking as they reach the middle of the square, turning to face one another. "What's the point of an eternal existence if there's nothing for you to care about?"

"Because caring leads to disappointment," Kol says calmly with a smile upon his face. "It also leads to vulnerability and, ultimately, death. If anything, Bonnie, caring should be reserved for vampires who value a true death; those willing to sacrifice their gifted immortality in the name of love. In fact the more I think about it, the more appealing it seems to snatch away the life of that Forbes girl. Ha…Niklaus would furious with me." Bonnie shakes her head as she glares off into the distance. Why was she even trying to have a conversation of this nature with a smug son-of-a-bitch like Kol? He is a vampire - an Original vampire. Life to him is nothing more than a faceless clock providing him with unlimited supplies of toys to play with.

Bonnie, on the other hand, is lucky if she could go a day without putting herself in harms way. Time is the most valuable currency to her, thus being in the presence of vampires brings out the defensive person she's grown comfortable of being. Taking a glance around, the young girl grows more weary in the presence of Kol. His words has a strange effect on her while his never-fading smile begins to creep her out.

"I bother you, don't I?" Kol asks with a gleeful expression on his face. Bonnie just stares at the man without attempting to answer his question. It was obvious how much the vampire made her uncomfortable, but she wasn't going to allow him the pleasure of bathing in her discomfort.

"This meeting you called tonight is becoming a waste of time," Bonnie finally says aloud.

"Oh don't be so sour, Bonnie. I've been trapped in a coffin for a quite a bit of time…humor me."

"How about we dagger you instead?" A voice from the distance cuts through Bonnie and Kol's conversation. Both the witch and the vampire turn to watch Stefan Salvatore emerging from the distance.

"Stefan?" Bonnie says aloud as she exchanges glances between he and Kol. 'Great, now I gotta deal with two vampires', she thought.

"Stefan Salvatore. Nice of you to drop by and invade our little conversation." Kol says, turning his back to Bonnie to face the vampire.

"What are you doing with Bonnie?" Stefan asks. Kol merely shrugs his shoulders as if not knowing what the man is implying.

"Just having a nice little chit-chat. You'd be amazed how talkative a silent imprisonment will make you."

"Next time bring a book." Stefan's sarcasm is met only with a scoff from Kol. Bonnie watches and listens in silence as the two vampires increase the tension within the air around them. "You should go."

"And if I don't, then what? You'll make me?" Kol's expression grows darker as he takes a step towards Stefan. Stefan stands his ground and flashes a small grin. "Your brother might have surprised me, but don't think yourself to be as lucky as he. If you so much as try to do anything to me, I snap the witch's neck like a branch." Bonnie can't help but take a step away from Kol's presence. It was almost as if though evil just oozed right out of him. He was a horrible, horrible individual.

"Bonnie is too valuable an asset," Stefan replies, to which Bonnie can't help but make a face. Asset? " If I had any intentions of killing you, you can believe I'm going to do it when the witch isn't around. I can't have you threatening my revenge against your brother if you kill one of my key players."

The young woman stands there, fists balled tightly on each side of her. She's glaring at Stefan in disgust and disappointment. She wanted to make herself understand the dilemma the man was in; him having to keep his humanity turned off, and having to live with the fact that Elena might be moving on (with Damon, no less). It made sense why he was the way he was. But to show absolutely no signs of caring about her and all that she had done for him; to be merely looked upon as nothing more than some weapon that he could use at his leisure.

It was fucked up.

Kol does nothing more than shake his head at Stefan before turning to face Bonnie again. He looks down at her only to see that she's still glaring angrily at Stefan. Bringing a finger to her face and snapping his fingers, the young girl focuses her attention back to the Original vampire with furrowed eyebrows.

"In most cases, this would be the part when I'd kill your vampire friend and feed from you," Kol says nonchalantly before glaring down at the Rolex watch strapped securely on his wrist, "but believe me when I say, the only reason I haven't yet is because I don't want to miss the expression on your face when you see me again tomorrow." Bonnie shares a weary look with Stefan before trying to reexamine the expression on Kol's face.

"I'm not seeing you again, Kol." Bonnie makes her statement clear. "This was a one time thing, and that's only because of Caroline. But the threats end tonight. The next time you try to hurt me or anybody else I care about…I will kill you."

"You keep saying how you'll kill me," Kol tarts to says before turning his back to Bonnie and heading out of the square with a smug smile on his face, "but we both know I simply can't die. So stop fighting it Bonnie and embrace your defeat. I promise you I'll make it worth while." And with that, Kol heads off into the distance at vampire-speed, leaving Stefan and Bonnie to glare at one another in silence.

Clenching her jaw together, Bonnie simply tries to ignore Stefan and starts to head off in the direction in which she came. However Stefan suddenly appears in front of her with an agitated expression upon his face.

"What?" Bonnie asks in annoyance.

"You think you can give me a heads up the next time you want to go on a date with an Original Vampire?" Stefan says, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You think you could have at least acted like I was something more than a weapon in front of said Original Vampire?" Bonnie shoots back. Stefan rolls his eyes, not at all concerned with the girls emotion problem.

"Give it a rest, Bonnie. Kol doesn't care who you are and what you represent to us all. He's just trying to get inside your head and distract you from what's really important; killing his brother." Bonnie is silent as she holds herself, rubbing her arms to keep from getting too cold. She understands Stefan's logic but she still doesn't like being labeled as something so insignificant. Trying to ignore the hurtful words and actions were becoming something of a chore that Bonnie was growing tired of. Of course the young girl would let the behavior slide once again…but she wasn't sure if there would be a next time. "Go home, Bonnie." Stefan almost demands.

Bonnie looks at the vampire once last time before making her way past him and towards home. She continues to rub her arms as she fights to block out the belittling words of whom she thought was her friend. It seemed like everybody in the world was against Bonnie Bennett, and nobody cared about what she felt.

And, quite honestly, Bonnie was growing a bit tired of it.

* * *

><p><strong>I was going to go all out with this story, but i think keeping it simple as possible might be the best route. LEts see what happens. THnx for reading and peace!<strong>


	6. Wasted Time

******So this was an interesting ditty to write. Had the opportunity to mess around with the plot a bit, and open up many different scenarios. I'm trying not to make the whole "Amelia dilemma" similar to Damon's dilemma with Katherine. If fact, its almost quite the opposite in terms of personality trait and the likes of which. Well, you'll see when you read it lol. Anyhoo...thnx you to all the people who take the time to read my stories and I'm hoping to God I can find the muse to once again start writing Same Old Stuff (My Bamon muse has been devastatingly lacking for months...thnx 4 nuttin' show!) Either way, hope you enjoy! :D **

* * *

><p><strong>Wasted Time<strong>

**1:30 a.m.**

Bonnie still has her face pressed against the pages of her Grimoire, studying the spells that waited patiently to one day be used again by the power of a Bennett witch. She comes across binding spells, stronger barrier spells, spells that could control the emotions of others, and spells that Bonnie still has trouble processing altogether. If only there were a spell that could immediately fix all the problems that laid upon her door step, then she'd no longer have to concern herself with the likes of vampires, werewolves, and God only knows what else is lurking in the shadows of Mystic Falls (hell, the world).

**2:18 a.m.**

Kol gnaws viciously against the neck of one of his latest victims; a young man who unfortunately was having car troubles on the road out of Mystic Falls. It seems the easier kills are the most boring. There seems to be no sign of an adrenaline rush to compliment the feeding, which usually increased the temperature of the blood. Against his tongue, Kol was almost disgusted with the taste that steadily dripped from his mouth. Tossing his meal to the ground and looking down at the dead man in disgust, the vampire merely wipes his mouth as he closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath. Sometimes it seemed much more peaceful and easier within the coffin he was imprisoned in…especially without Amelia.

**2:40 a.m.**

Bonnie tosses and turns in her bed, unable to close her eyes and drift off to sleep. She can't help but relive the moments from the night before - Stefan, Kol, and her inability to stand up for herself. She tries to ignore it, honest to God she does. But there is no denying the truth. There seems to be nothing more beyond Mystic Falls for Bonnie Bennett. She knows in the back of her mind that while Elena will go off to be a writer with Stefan or Damon, Caroline will explore the world in high fashion with Tyler, and Alaric will begin his normal life with Meredith, poor Bonnie will be stuck with witch duties for the rest of her life. If anything, she'd be like her Grams…alone and thought of as crazy. Even now, as Bonnie is surrounded by a variety of friends, she still can't help but feel alone and misunderstood. But she's too selfless to say anything. She won't say anything. Thus she holds her emotions inside and carries on with a smile on her face. However tonight she cries upon her bed, gripping her pillow close to her chest and trying not to be too loud for her father to hear.

**3:08 a.m.**

"Why are we bringing up the past again, brother?" Klaus asks as he lays up groggily from his bed. Kol stumbles in his brother's room, tipsy from drinking and feeding most of the night - a dangerous combination for an Original.

"Humor me, Niklaus!" Kol shouts out with a forced smile upon his face. "If nothing else, at least give me the respect of telling me why you killed her. Why you took her away from me?" Klaus glares at his younger sibling. He knows Kol is trying to make a mockery out of him, purposely shouting out at the top of his lungs so that all the other Original siblings can tune in on the conversation. But if Kol wanted to make a show out of this…then Klaus would "humor him".

"You know how protective I am of my witches, brother. You should have known better than to think you could take what was mine."

"She wasn't a piece a property," Kol snaps back angrily, stomping further towards the stationary hybrid.

"No…she was more than that. She was a weapon - a weapon that you yourself destroyed because you couldn't keep your feelings under control." Klaus can see that his statement is testing Kol's restraint, causing a small smirk to stretch across the right side of his face. "Amelia was to assist me in the death of our father, but her foolish antic in falling in love with the likes of you merely ruined that plan."

"How did her falling in love with me threaten your plans, brother?" the youngest Original vampire asks with a mock chuckle and smile. "Was it going to cause the world to implode on itself? Or was our love so powerful that it could have destroyed every love before hand? Tell me!"

"In order for Amelia to have killed our father," Klaus continues, "she'd have to risk killing herself. In the beginning it didn't seem to be a problem for her to take on such a task; she was a nineteen year old runaway who was ripe for the picking. I had gained her loyalty and she was willing to sacrifice herself in my honor. But you? You had to go and ruin that spirit from within her, and turned her emotions into a profound weakness. You are the one who forced my hand when you thought it best to try and leave Chicago with her."

"There was nothing to look forward to other than her inevitable death by our father's hand. She needed more to life than to be your sacrificial lamb, Niklaus. I could have saved her.

Klaus in in front of Kol now, the haunting stare of the hybrid burning holes into the Original vampire's eyes. "That was not your call to make, little brother. She had a job to do and you prevented her from doing it."

The two Originals glare at one another angrily. The tension within the room thick enough to fill the entire mansion if able. Suddenly a smirk finds itself being stretched across the face of Kol who looks down at the ground and shakes his head. "I guess I'm more a threat than I imagined," the man says almost chipper-like. "I'll have to keep that in mind next time. I mean…if you're going keep me locked up in a coffin for as long as you did, I better make sure my punishment fits the crime." And with that, Kol merely backs off and makes his way out of his brother's room, leaving Klaus to stand where he is with a worrisome expression.

**4:56 a.m.**

Bonnie devours another spoonful of ice-cream as she sits restlessly on her couch in front of the television screen, flipping from channel to channel though not looking for anything in particular. Despite knowing she'd have to get ready for school in the next two hours, the young girl is too anxious to concern herself with sleep currently. She can't help but have Kol Mikaelson's words from the night before repeat over and over in her head: **"…I don't want to miss the expression on your face when you see me again tomorrow."**

'_What the hell did that mean?'_ Bonnie thought before taking in another spoonful. She figures that Kol, like most of the strangers who enter Mystic Falls, would be feverish in their attempts to harass Elena (hell, even Caroline for that matter). However Bonnie doesn't mind, in fact, she actually prefers it. Of course she feels bad for her friends, but she has been in their position three times already and does not want to go down those paths again. Already has Bonnie been the victim of Damon, Ben, and Klaus - all three hurt, abused, and frustrated the living hell out of her. But Kol? Kol is in a league of his own it seems. Not only is the man insufferable, but he keeps…coming…back. Not once since the day Bonnie saw him approaching the Mystic Grill to kill Matt, has somebody been so adamant and constant in their attempts to drive her mad. Sure Damon Salvatore came a close second, but Kol is an Original Vampire. An abomination that has roamed the earth longer than anyone can count.

But why does he concern himself with her so much? Why does she get more attention than anybody else in her circle of friends? Was it because she tried to kill him? No - because then Kol would be trying to kill Damon first. Was it because she was a woman and this was some weird sexist thing? The thought appears more plausible, but she can't be certain. Inhaling one last spoonful of ice-cream, Bonnie lets out a deep breath before stretching herself out on the couch. It was times like this that she wished she had her Grams to wrap her arms around like the protector she was.

Bonnie felt more connected to Grams than anyone else. Grams, better known as Shelia Bennett both around town and t the university she taught, also was abandoned by her mother at a very young age. As an only child she had to teach herself to become very independent in life and in magic. It wasn't easy; having to construct a future without a concrete path. But she made it happen, and she pushed on to build her own success and her own power. Shelia was self-made, and Bonnie thrives to be the same. Bonnie knew that she could feel sorry for herself because of all the crap that was going on with her, or she can take action and actually do what her heart told her to do. The vindicating thought is enough to appease the young girl's mind just a little bit, enough so that she lays her head down on a stack of throw-pillows and slowly drifts off to sleep.

Bonnie pulls into the school parking lot in her blue Prius. She's still a tad tired from not getting enough sleep that morning, but what little sleep she did get she was not going to scoff at. Upon parking and exiting her vehicle, Bonnie makes way to her regular spot underneath the tree that casts a huge shade on the lunch bench she usually occupies with her friends Elena and Caroline. Setting her books down and waiting patiently for the school bell to ring, Bonnie proceeds to finish up some last minute math homework she held out on doing the night before considering she was…busy, to say the least. The mere though brings about a look of irritation to the brunette. Refocusing back to the homework at hand, Bonnie finds herself struggling more than she cares to admit. Its hard trying to remember what equation goes with what textbook; distinguishing so many theories and numbers and words, confusing Algebra with witchcraft is bound to happen from time to time.

Wanting to find out what time it is, Bonnie reaches inside of her purse to pull out her…

"Crap," she says aloud when she comes to remember that Kol still has possession of her cell phone. "So much for keeping up with the time." As she frustratingly tosses her purse upon the lunch bench, Bonnie releases a long sigh of frustration.

"Are you never happy?" a familiar and unwanted voice appears from behind the young girl.

Bonnie does not want to turn around…she can't. She doesn't want to believe she hears what she hears, and yet, she knows that life has never been kind to her before, so why should it be now? With a weary expression on her face, Bonnie turns around to face (yet again) the smug-smirking Original Vampire that just won't leave her alone.

"What the hell?" Bonnie hisses lowly. Kol does nothing more than chuckle at the witch's surprise, taking glee in the expression she is bathing him with. "What are you doing here?" she asks more direct this time. The vampire goes to take a seat on the opposing end of the bench which makes Bonnie sit up straight in a tense nature.

"I came here in the hopes of running across that little doppelganger friend of yours," Kol starts to say, "but I figured I'd come over and say 'Hi' first." The man lifts his hand and waves it mockingly at the shocked girl. "Hi," he chimes.

Bonnie is somewhat speechless. She should have known better than to wish Kol's stalker-like behavior upon her friend, and now it was happening. Yet somehow that wasn't what was really bothering her the most. She couldn't help but glare at Kol for some time and study the items of clothing he had decided to dress himself with; skinny jeans, tennis shoes, and a regular t-shirt underneath a Mystic Falls Timberwolves hoodie. Quite a modern set of clothes for a vampire who seems very serious when it comes to sophistication. But unfortunately, those aren't the bits of clothing details that catch the sight of emerald eye. No - she can't help but notice the large black strap that hangs onto his right shoulder sternly. A strap that seems to be attached to…a backpack?

"Why are you dressed like that?" Bonnie asks. She knows the answer already, but she needs to hear it from the horses mouth. If an over the top reaction was to be had at this moment in time, better the reason come from what somebody else had said instead of what she had pieced together in her mind.

Kol gives a cocky smile before deciding to answer her. "Believe it or not, I have never once been to high school. Oh, Rebekah nagged me for centuries to go, but it all seemed so redundant and useless; Learning about history that most of these teachers got wrong in the first place."

"So why go now?" Bonnie demands to know in a demanding tone received by the vampire, who tilts his head to the side slightly amused.

"To be taught in a building that is overrun with vampires, a witch, a hybrid, and a doppelganger intrigues me. Especially since the council is well aware of this damning information. It seems to me that this is as perfect the time as any to grant myself a little modern day education." Bonnie is listening to the man, but she's not sure she believes him. Coincidence is something that doesn't fit in this vampire's vocabulary.

"I don't believe you," the young girl states with her head held high confidently. Kol leans closer into the bench, his boyish face struck with broken rays of sunlight that cut through the leaves above.

"Must you always be so distrustful?" Kol asks lightly.

"Only to homicidal vampires like you," Bonnie shoots back. The man merely shrugs his shoulders as he leans back on the bench.

"Smart girl." He means what he says. At that moment, Kol begins to realize that Bonnie Bennett is becoming less and less like Amelia Bennett which, surprisingly, is not as annoying as it was before. Sure, there were some similarities here and there, but Bonnie seems more fiery and stubborn. She doesn't seem easily swayed or frightened by the appearance of an individual that is clearly a much more superior being. Of course, that conversation with Stefan Salvatore the night before may have proven otherwise if he wanted to take that into account. But Kol Mikaelson was a man who came up with his own conclusions and thoughts. If he was going to judge somebody at face-value, he made sure he had at least half a reason to. "If you really must know why I'm here," Kol continues to speak, " I'm planning to kill that little doppelganger friend of yours. Elena, is it?" This causes Bonnie to freeze in place, unable to move or even blink for a short amount of time.

Opening her mouth to speak, Bonnie grips the pen that is still present in her hand tightly, "Klaus will kill you if you so much as lay a finger on her."

"I'm banking on it," Kol retorts back seriously. "nothing would bring me greater pleasure than to see the pain of disappointment and hurt upon his bastard face."

"Have you considered the fact that Klaus won't be the only person who will kill you the minute you try to carry out such a suicidal plan?" Bonnie warns with a clenched jaw and furrowed eyebrows. Kol responds to the girl's threat with an even wider smile.

"It would only be suicidal to try and stop me."

"Try me."

"Is that an invitation?"

"It's a warning."

"A warning?" Kol teases with a scoff. "Please don't misunderstand my allowing you to live all those times we've encountered as evidence of you being able to take me on. Remember: if I really wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

"Really?" Bonnie responds back with her own brand of teasing. This causes the vampire to diminish his smile a bit. "Because from what I understand and from what I've learned, a witch is the reason why vampires exist in the first place. I'm pretty sure a witch can also undue that very same mistake if she wanted to."

Kol can do nothing more than twist his lips, resisting the urge to lunge across the lunch bench and sink his fangs into the neck of the testy witch. But what good would it be to expose his true self in front of a bunch of prepubescent teenagers and get no enjoyment out of it? No…he'd instead wait for the moment when it benefited him and only him.

"Regardless," the vampire says, securing the backpack strap on his shoulder, "she will die by my hand. You won't ruin my plan of revenge." Bonnie narrows her eyes in disgust. It didn't take long for her to come to the understanding just who Kol was trying to extract his revenge upon. She remembers just the night before when the vampire spoke so negatively on Klaus, and how he wanted nothing more than to see his death.

"You killing Elena is not going to make things better," the young girl informs Kol as she leans forward against the bench towards the dark eyed man. "Because at the end of the day…Klaus will still be alive, wrecking havoc on the rest of the world. He'll find some loophole to making his hybrids and you'll have to live the rest of your eternity watching as he gets away with another sadistic plan again."

The Original Vampire is silent as he listens to the witch speak. Though she makes valid points in her argument, he is too stubborn to turn back from his plan now. He was, before the day was over, going to kill Elena Gilbert. What happened after that was beyond the man's concern. However Bonnie continued to glare at him with almost pleading eyes. _"Pathetic"_, Kol thinks to himself. _"Even she knows that she has no way of stopping me even if she wanted to. Although,"_ he continues to ponder, _"she did somehow halt a lot of Klaus' plans in the past. Perhaps there's more to this irritating witch than she lends herself to believe?" _

"Bonnie?" a soft voice makes its way into the conversation. A voice that Kol finds himself grinning at. Both Bonnie and Kol turn to glare at Elena Gilbert, standing a couple feet away from the lunch bench and staring at the duo in surprise. Bonnie wastes no time in hoping up from her seat on the bench and rushing in the direction of her best friend, though she finds she is no match for the unparalleled speed in which Kol posses. The fearless vampire rushes behind Elena and immediately twists her arm behind her back. The brown eyed girl whimpers as she attempts to struggle her way out of the man's grasp.

Kol, leans over Elena's ear and whispers softly against her warm flesh, "I know how troublesome my brother has become for you. I can fix that. I can end all of this now…and I promise you won't feel anything."

"Let her go," Bonnie hisses at the man between gritted teeth. Kol glares up at the witch with dark pupils while black veins protrude around his face.

"Klaus deserves this," Kol growls out angrily, not caring who heard him. "He doesn't deserve to get what he wants. He doesn't deserve to always get what he wants."

"And what is this going to prove?" Bonnie asks almost immediately, "that you're better than Klaus, or worse than him?"

"Watch it, witch," Kol warns Bonnie, tightening his grip on Elena.

Bonnie hesitates as she chooses her next few words carefully, "I know…you don't want to be compared to Klaus. But look at the situation. Isn't this something he would do? Isn't this the rash decision he would make if he allowed for his emotions to take over? And weren't you the one that said emotions did nothing but make you weak? Well, right now I'm seeing someone very weak and clearly hurt from what Klaus did to him. But if you want to extract your revenge on him, don't go for the obvious. Hit him where he least expects it and maybe, just maybe, you'll finally be able to move on from what's hurting you so much."

Kol doesn't move, nor does he release his grip from Elena. He glares at Bonnie with dark eyes that slowly begin to shift back to human-like features. Being well aware of the witch's attempt to sway his decision with sappy talk and persuasive words, Kol Mikaelson can't help but think long and hard on the statements that are made. Killing Elena Gilbert would bring a certain degree of satisfaction to him…but it wouldn't bring Amelia back. Nothing would. She was gone and never coming back. And, unfortunately, no amount of revenge would change that sentiment. Even if Kol were to kill a thousand doppelgangers for centuries to come, just being reminded by Klaus himself of Amelia would always leave him unfilled.

The sudden sound of the school bell causes a rush of students to make way inside of the school building. Bonnie and Kol are unflinching as they proceed with their standoff with each other, Elena unfortunately in the middle of it all. But, by the grace of all that is Holy, Kol releases his grip on the Gilbert girl. Elena turns to face the Original Vampire with watery eyes and an angered expression. Bonnie wastes no time in running to her friend's side and wrapping her arms around her. Kol glares at Bonnie Bennett: the witch who keeps getting in his way.

"You can only be the hero for so long, Bonnie," Kol says with a forced smirk to mask his anger. "And you only have so many more times until I decide to completely ignore your drawn-out speeches of redemption and forgiveness." The man walks past them and starts to make way to the front of the school's entrance. But before he can get several feet from the two girl's, Bonnie opens her mouth and speaks out one last time.

"I don't know what Klaus did to you…and frankly, at this point, I don't care. But know this - if you stand in the way of me or my friends again, I will make it my mission to destroy you before you even have the chance to think up a plan of revenge against your brother." Kol is silent as he listens to the girl speak. "If you really want to stop Klaus like you claim, then you'd do well to stop trying to kill the people who want to kill him."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend?" Kol asks aloud, his back still facing the two girls. Bonnie just narrows her eyes.

"Ally…not friend," the girl corrects the man in response.

"Either way, if you think you can find a way to kill my brother without sacrificing your precious doppelganger, then by all means, consider me to be my rarely cooperative self. But should this take longer than I'd like…well…"

And with that, Kol continues to walk forth to the entrance of the school building, leaving Bonnie and Elena alone in the middle of the lunch area, contemplating their next move in this losing game of supernatural chess.

* * *

><p><strong>So at least we've come to some understandings and some partnerships(?). More will be revealed soon as possible. In the menatime, thnx for your time and can't wait to deliver more story for you all. Peace!<strong>


	7. Irritation

******Sorry the long delay...busy, busy, busy.  
><strong>

**Got another chapter to share with you all, so I hope you all enjoy it. Wanna say thnx you all for your words in the comment section. I really appreciate your input and I try to fit in some of your expectations into the story, so let your voices be heard! 's the next chapter, hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7 - Irritation<strong>

Five days had passed since Kol Mikaeleson became a student at Mystic Falls High School…

His appearance is only met with high praise from his fellow peers; Girls flock to him at every chance they get, while guys who act as bodyguards for him secretly want to bash his smug face in. Who would have thought that within five days, somebody like Kol would be the most popular person in school? Sure, compulsion did have its advantages here and there (especially when it came time to feeding), and the random acts of kindness somewhat made his stomach turn in disgust. Nevertheless, Kol was loving every minute of his newfound "fame".

Bonnie, on the other hand, was growing increasingly tired of it.

She hated having to watch this monster take advantage of innocent kids like her - using them for his own sick, demented game. Not only that, be she was pretty sure that the rumor going around about Kol having inappropriate relations with one of the teachers was true. Then again who _wasn't _the man sticking his bones in to these days? However none of that seemed to get under Bonnie's skin more than the act of sharing a class with the deranged vampire. Needless to say that class she shared with him was in Physical Education, where students usually just wandered off and chatted for the forty-five minute duration of class. Though in Bonnie's saddening world, this was the only time when Kol hounded her about whether or not she came up with a spell to kill Klaus, and reminding her how easily it would be for him to kill the people she protected and loved.

Bonnie Bennett never thought the day would come when she found somebody she hated more than Damon Salvatore…but alas, the day did come. And with it came Kol Mikaelson.

* * *

><p>"So I needed your birthday-guest list, like, yesterday." Caroline Forbes playfully tugs at Bonnie's arm as they sit comfortably on the grass that is the center of the school's track and field outside. The beating sun is the perfect opportunity to feel just a twinge of heat upon the cold body of the blonde vampire.<p>

"I told you, I don't want a birthday party." Bonnie responds back as nicely as possibly despite growing extremely tired of the same inane birthday questions. In all honesty, the solemn witch isn't feeling all too festive about growing a year older in the crazy world she's being dealt with. Too much has happened in such a short span of time that the only birthday she could celebrate properly was Caroline's. Other than that, there is no real reason for her to get excited over another day in which she becomes a year older. At the rate she was going it'd be surprising if she'd make it these next two days to her actual birth day (assuming she doesn't die from overexerting herself on some spell, or something like that). "Besides," Bonnie continues, "I only know a handful of people. Who would I possibly invite to this shindig?"

"Everybody!" Caroline chimes with a huge smile.

"Like who? Stefan and Damon? Like they really give a damn about me." It grows silent momentarily between the two of them as Bonnie drops her head towards the ground, feeling the frustration build from within her. "I'm guess…I'm just not in the whole birthday mood, that's all."

"Look, Bonnie, I know that this has been a crazy time for you. Meeting your birth mother and having to keep it from your father, Jeremy and his whole ghost thingy, and everything else that has happened. Honestly, I'd be a little bummed out too." Bonnie can only give a small smile to Caroline's words. 'Bummed out ' would be an upgrade to how she is feeling. "But…birthdays aren't just about you. It's suppose to be a celebration of life and you'd be selfish not to let me celebrate yours, especially since I'm unable to celebrate my own life anymore. If you feel so unappreciated, than let me show you how wrong you are. Let me prove to you that you are appreciated, and your life - birthday - whatever you want to call it, means something to somebody."

The emerald eyed teen looks at Caroline with a sad smile and a tilt of her head. Despite sometimes being irritating in the worst ways possible, the blonde vampire seems to be just the shoulder Bonnie can depend on when in moments of doubt and confliction. Strange too, considering this use to be a part of Bonnie's life reserved for exclusively for Elena. It's sad for Bonnie to think how much she and Elena have seemingly grown apart from one another, and nothing seems to put them back on the right track. Of course the girl was still like a sister to Bonnie, and the two of them would still be willing to sacrifice so much to keep each other safe. But whenever Stefan or Damon are around, it was like Elena became a different person - like her priorities always focused on them and nobody else. Sometimes it hurt the Bennett girl as she thought back on all the sacrifices she made to ensure their safety while she continually lost people she loved.

It angered her…more than anyone could know.

"Please, Bonnie," Caroline continues to beg, "let me throw you the party of the century. The party to end all parties!"

"Well ,you can certainly count me in." Caroline and Bonnie half-expected the words that are said to them to make a presence within their conversation that they don't even bother to turn around and face the man saying them.

"Well, unfortunately for you, you're not invited," Caroline responds with a snarky tone. She turns her attention to Bonnie who is already tuning out everything around her as a means not to hear another word slip out the mouth of the egotistical Original Vampire.

"Go away, Kol," Bonnie says for what she figures is the ten thousandth time this week. Of course the immediate response she receives is a signature chuckle which booms from the chest of youngest Mikealson vampire.

Kol slowly makes way in front of the two girls, which prompts them both to stand to their feet in a defensive stance. He stands in front of the two of them, hands on his hips and a crooked smile plastered on his face. "I'll go away," Kol begins to say, "as soon as you find a spell to rid my brother away for good." Bonnie remains quiet, not wanting to partake in yet another argument that would only lead him threatening the life of somebody she cared about, and her going on about how she'd find a way to permanently kill him and his family. It was quite trite to be honest. "Now, about this party Caroline-"

"Forget it, Kol," Caroline interrupts the man before he gets the chance to ask any pressing questions. "This party is none of you concern. Period."

"Hmmm…well, I could always compel you to tell me. Though I must warn you, I do like to get creative when compelling." Kol takes a step towards Caroline but is halted by Bonnie who proceeds to stand between the two of vampires.

"What do you want, Kol?" Bonnie asks.

"To talk to you," the man responds back simply, placing his hands behind his back before giving Caroline a toothy grin. "Alone."

Caroline narrows her eyes at the vampire before she is given a look of reassurance by her confident friend. Though hesitant at first, the blond complies with Bonnie's gesture and proceeds to dismiss herself from the two (though she still keeps an ear out on the conversation).

Crossing her arms over her chest and releasing an irritated sign, Bonnie gives Kol a judging look and waits to hear what Kol has to say. "I need a favor," the man puts into words simply. The Bennett witch makes a face, surprised that the vampire would not only have the audacity to ask for a favor, but be so nonchalant about it.

"A favor?" Bonnie asks, making sure she heard right the first time.

"Yes, a favor." Kol merely feigns a smile as he looks off into the distance. Bonnie finds it hard to suppress the smirk that stretches itself across her face. She can see that him asking for this "favor" is not a very comfortably position for him. It was almost pathetically funny. And though in her mind she has already decided to go against helping the man with his favor, Bonnie decides to humor Kol and ask exactly what it is that he wants. "My sister, Rebekah, has become more and more sprung with that Donavan boy over the past couple of days. And now it seems that she is ready to take the plunge into full blown relationship status with him." Bonnie merely chuckles. Not because of Kol's overprotective nature over his sister, but because he is trying so hard to mask his proper British accent with modern day teenager-sentences equipped with slang terminology. "I know all three of you have physics class together, so I want you to watch them diligently. At the slightest sign of them inappropriately touching or staring at each other…tell me."

Its silent for a moment as Bonnie is unable to do anything else but make a face at the suddenly less than threatening vampire. She can understand the man's weary mindset when it came to his sister and some boy she was interested in, but it didn't make it any less funny. Having to bite the insides of her cheeks to keep her amusement in check, the Bennett girl simply nods her head in understanding and shrugs her shoulders. "Anything else?" she asks as she raises an eyebrow, ready to go back to the resilient, defensive person she was around the cocky man. Kol can't help chuckle as he smiles widely, always taking pleasure in the discomfort of others.

"Why do you continually fight with me?" Kol asks as he tilts his head to the side inquisitively. Bonnie does nothing more than stand her ground silently in front of the man, ready for the conversation to lead to its inevitable end. "Why can't you, for once, just play nice and do as your told?"

"Because I'm not your personal lapdog," Bonnie snaps back.

"No, I suppose not. Clearly that right is reserved for the Salvatores and Company." Bonnie clenches her jaw, wanting to strike back with verbal assault, but finds it difficult to do. Kol slowly begins to circle around the silent witch, bathing in her glorious silence. "I mean, from the stories my brothers told me and the way Stefan Salvatore spoke of you in the park last week, all signs point to you being nothing more than the resident supernatural weapon. Which…I suppose…is a good thing?" Kol likes to kick his prey even as they are crumbling on the ground in pain.

"You don't know anything," Bonnie hisses, "you know absolutely nothing."

Kol halts circling around the brunette to lock his dark eyes with her two emerald pools. A serious expression is planted upon his face and his towering height forces the petite witch to practically crank her neck all the way back to keep constant eye contact with him. "What I know, Bonnie, is that your blinding loyalty to your friends is going to be the death of you…and that, darling, is bad for me. If I'm going make sure my plan is a success, I need a healthy, alert, living witch to do so. You being dead does nothing for me."

"Sounds to me you're no better than the people you claim are using me," Bonnie says.

"But the difference is, darling, I admit to why I need you…I'm simply using you - nothing more, nothing less. I don't mask my intentions with false friendship."

"How would somebody like you even begin to understand the concept of friendship? What - you think your little popularity here at school counts? Newsflash, compulsion does not equal friendship."

"The day I become "friends" with somebody at this school is the day I stake myself in the heart." Kol says with a disgruntled face. "These kids are stupid and proud of it. They have no tastes whatsoever, they whine every second of the day, and I swear the girls have gotten much more aggressive than the boys. Hell, even this obsession with vampires makes me embarrassed."

"Then why attend school?" Bonnie asks, trying to figure out Kol as quickly as possible. First he accuses her friends of being practically 'terrible people', then he goes on about the kids at the school. If he hated everything and everyone, why surround himself with said people? And on top of that, why ask her some silly favor to watch his more than capable vampire sister? What the hell is this guy up to, she wonders. "Why are you even talking to me? You know that I don't like you, and its more than obvious that you don't like me, so why put yourself in an uncomfortable position? There's no reason for either of us to go on like we're buddy-buddy…so lets cut the bullshit and continue on with our day." Without a second thought, Bonnie spins around and prepares to storm away from the vampire but is surprised he is already standing in front of her with a grin upon his face, hands still crossed over his chest.

She hates vampire speed.

"You carry a lot of anger in you Bonnie. That's good - you can use that as fuel to speed up this process of killing my brother, Niklaus."

"Then you?" Bonnie asks sarcastically with an arched brow. Kol simply scoffs at the petty threat. "Look, Kol," the Bennett witch begins to say with frustration riding on every word she speaks, "I get it, alright? You want your brother dead, and you want it done as quickly as possible. You've told me this day after day since you've become a student here. And what I'm here to tell you is that I'm working as hard as I can. Its not easy and its not something to be rushed - not if you want this to properly come to fruition." The man is silent as he listens to Bonnie speak, her words tethering on the line of confidence and uncertainty. He narrows dark eyes at her. "So why don't you go back to you pack of mindless drones and leave me the hell alone until I'm ready to move on to our next plan."

"I like this side of you," Kol says delightfully. "You got more attitude and spunk. Something I can relate to…something I respect."

"Yeah, well, I'm unflattered by your respect," Bonnie snaps back as she starts to walk back to Caroline who is situated across the track and field on the bleachers. Kol follows close behind, hands still crossed over his chest. Bonnie just rolls her eyes in annoyance before opening her mouth to speak, "I have nothing more to say to you, Kol. Just go back to your prepubescent blood bags and leave me be."

"I would, but I honestly don't feel like answering anymore nagging questions from those insecure girls about you."

"Questions about me? What are you talking about now?"

"Well rumor has it that since my involvement at this school I've become a bit of a lady killer. At first the claims worried me until I realized it was just a figure of speech." Kol is the only one who laughs at his inappropriate joke. "Anyway," he continues, "of all the girls I've conversed with at this school, you're the only one I go out of my way to actually speak with. My group of girls assume that its because we have some secret affair, so I humor them. Thus probably why you've been getting a lot of dirty looks these past two days. Either way, you should consider yourself very lucky."

Bonnie stops walking momentarily to turn and face Kol with narrow eyes and a look of disbelief. "What makes you think I want anybody to assume that I'm the least bit interested in you? And for that matter, why are you even feeding into these girls lies?"

"Because there's nothing better to do," Kol explains as if though it should be so obvious to the young girl. "Because if we're going to keep seeing each other out in the open like this, then there better be a good damn reason for it, rumor or not." The girl is silent as she glances over at Caroline. The blond is trying to be considerate by not looking in the direction of the couple, but its obvious she can hear everything being said. Great. "Bonnie, you need to understand that I'm trying to make this ordeal with us as painless as possible. Despite how we may view each other, we need to keep our focus on Niklaus. Nothing is more important." For the first time the conflicted witch merely nods her head in sincere agreement.

"I just wish you would have came up with a better lie," Bonnie admits.

"I can't pretend like Niklaus' hybrids aren't running around this school, watching every move you, your friends, and I make."

"Well you and I in a relationship is only going to arouse more suspicion."

"On the contrary, my dear, its only going to derail that suspicion." Kol can't help but chuckle at the thought. "Trust me, the idea of me being in a relationship with a Bennett witch will only appear to him as an act of defiance, not war. He'll figure I'm just trying to get under his skin and irritate him, which I'm very good at doing by the way. And by the time he realizes the truth…"

They both are quiet. The vampire can see the look of confusion on Bonnie's face. Her ignorance to his previous affair with Amelia Bennett is the only kind of leverage he can lean on. Well, that and killing Elena Gilbert. But he's patient.

"Trust me…when I explain to you why its important we keep up this lie, you'll understand everything."

"Until then?" Bonnie asks.

"Until then, I think its important that you start referring to me as your boyfriend, and don't forget to leave me an opening at the birthday table when you blow out your candles." The young girl can literally feel her lunch creep its way up her chest as the man speaks his words. There is no way in hell he is coming to this birthday party.

"Your not coming to my birthday party." Its spoken not as an observation but a piece of fact from the young girl.

"Your right. Your coming to mine." Bonnie makes a face that Kol snickers at mischievously. "I thought how cute would it be if we, as a couple, shared our birthday together? That way we can both practice feeding each other cake before our marriage." The young girl glances at the man with wide eyes. Even Caroline, who is trying to keep at bay on the bleachers in silence, has to speak her mind.

"You can't have a birthday party the same day as Bonnie," Caroline shouts from a distance, "I've already started making plans in my head on what I want the color schemes to be."

Kol waves a dismissive hand at the upset blonde. "No need to strain yourself, love. I figured what better way to piss off Klaus than to throw an out of control, alcohol-driven party at his sophisticated, recently renovated mansion?" A sadistic smile oozes from his face as he examines the look of anger on Caroline's face. "So expect your invitations to be present in your lockers by fifth period. Ha! I'm almost excited. I've never had a proper eighteenth birthday party…I guess third generations a charm."

"You're insane," Bonnie says to Kol. The man tilts his head and narrows his eyes before stepping in front of the young witch and leaning towards her, placing his lips several centimeters away from her ear.

He whispers ever so softly as the scent of her blood momentarily causes his face to shift into its true predatory form, "You'll do well to remember that. Keep in mind…I have nothing to lose, but so much to gain. Hurry up with that solution of getting rid of Klaus."

And with that Kol gives a small bow and goes one with the rest of his day. Caroline rushes off the bleachers and stands next to Bonnie who is giving a dazed look.

"That crazy bastard," Caroline says, "he's no better than the rest of his messed up family. What are you going to do, Bonnie?"

"I've got a job to do Caroline. Even though things are more confusing than they've ever been, I still gotta keep my focus on the job." That has always been Bonnie's attitude. Focus on nothing else but the job. She is use to sacrificing so much of herself to ensure her objective is complete that she hardly cares about her own sanity and protection anymore. However, Kol's earlier observation had her thinking.

How much was too much?

When was it going to be time for her to stop stepping in the position as savior al the time?

If anything, this facade she plans to carry out with Kol is probably the closest thing to a safety net she has. Should something go wrong, she can (hopefully) depend on Kol to be there to protect her. Usually she's out and about on her own. At least now she is with somebody with some muscle to thrown in.

"I don't know what Kol is planning two days from now, but I'm going to have to trust him." Bonnie's confidence is not convincing enough to her blonde vampire friend. "He went through all this trouble for some reason, and I've got to take a leap on this."

"But he can't be trusted." Caroline reminds the Bennett witch.

"No he can't. Though trust is a luxury I can't afford right now. He was going to kill Elena right here on school grounds right before starting his first day of school. I'm dealing with a Grade A psycho who's probably just as reliable as Elijah. But I need somebody who's close to Klaus that wants him dead as much as the rest of us do. Plus there's something about my family he knows that he's not telling. I know curiosity killed the cat…but I gotta know what he's hiding."

"I think I'd be more comfortable if you weren't pretending to be that creep's girlfriend." Bonnie can do nothing but lightly laugh at her friend's disgusted expression. It's actually a refreshing laugh.

"I'm more concerned if we're actually going to be convincing come the day of the party. If there's one thing Kol seems to lack, its true affection."

During this moment of speaking those words are spoken, Bonnie is unable to see two things. One, she's unable to see Kol lurking behind some cheerleaders while listening in on her conversation. Two, she's unable to see the mischievous smile that stretches across his pale face.

"Affection, huh?" he chimes to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>So did this chapter irritate you, or did it irritate you? lol Its fun having these two characters bounce around from one extreme to the next. That's why I luv writing their random conversations, lol. Thnx for taking the time out to read my story...and watch out. Next chapter we'll get more interactions and possibly a confrontation. Plus we'll explore a softer side to Kol, and a more aggressive side to Bonnie. can't wait to share. Peace!<br>**


	8. Birthday Lessons

******First, can I just say that whomever is making the Servant of Nature stories is beyond awesome. They have inspired me to go forth and create my own world based entirely around Bonnie. But before doing that, I would probably wait to get some feedback from you lovely people...you all have been so supportive and great through my amazing journey as a FanFic writer, lol.  
><strong>

**Anyhoo, this is a looooooooooong chapter, perhaps the longest I've written for a chapter (and ever will write...maybe). But I was feeling the muse and I felt it was time to fill in a lot of gaps and get some character development in. This is dialogue heavy, mostly one Kol's part; I needed to find his voice and expose his perspective on a lot of things he sees and feels. I also tap into why he is the way he is. I'm sure I could have shorten this by a lot, but I figured, "Why not? Its not getting published anytime soon, so I might as well troll my readers with excessive amounts of words." Plus, and honestly, all of your feedback has been a great deal of inspiration for me.  
><strong>

**Now for some sadder news...I've decided that I'm going to halt writing for "Some Old Stuff" because I'm just not feeling this ship right now. Don't get me wrong, I still ship Bamon hardcore (I WILL go down with this ship), but the show has kind of tainted me in the retrospect. So I'm giving myself some time to find my luv for Bamon again before I can officially commit to the story again. Becuz, honestly, Kennett (despite it being a crackship...for now), it leaves me freedom to write what I want.  
><strong>

**But enough of all that. Here is your long awaited chapter, and I hope you all enjoy reading it!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8 - Birthday Lessons<strong>

Bonnie Bennett knows that there will be repercussions to the actions she plans to make on this day: her birthday.

She wakes up early in the morning, just in time to see her father to the front door before he leaves for (yet again) an important business trip. He leaves behind his birthday presents for Bonnie which includes the typical birthday card, single white rose and a check for a hundred dollars, allowing her the freedom to buy whatever gift she wants. Usually this would be the moment when Bonnie blurts out some comment along the lines of, "No amount of money is worth not having you here right now", but it would be futile. Bonnie's father is a workaholic who seems to never say 'no' to his business trips, even on his daughter's birthday. One would think she can say she's use to this pattern by now considering all the other birthdays he had missed, by why bother? If anything, the fact her father actually waited to give her her gifts himself personally is a mass improvement from the past two years. Still, there was going to be that missing element on this insignificant day.

Then there was her mother, Abby.

Granted there is the new concept of one parent missing but now another one is present by happenstance. Just the same, its hard for Bonnie to willingly open her arms to this stranger who still seemed reluctant to help her. If nothing else, Abby's presence only makes Bonnie's birthday feel worse to her. How can two parents be so self absorbed (Abby with Jaime's well-being, and Bonnie's father with his work) yet still claim to care about Bonnie? Is Bonnie's whole life suppose to revolve around the concept of being second to everybody else? Was there ever a time when somebody actually decided to put her first in the equation of…well…anything? The thought brings about a stream of her traditional birthday tears; the pint up emotions and frustrations that are hidden from those around her. However, Bonnie still has a job to do. Yes - a job to do. Today will be a very different (if not slightly deranged) birthday for the Bennett witch. Not only is she going into the lion's den, The Mikealson Mansion, but she was going to be cuddling with one of the lions.

Kol Mikealson's plan, which will somehow lead to Klaus' debatable "death", was still beyond the young girl's comprehension. Yet she is still determined and willing to jump through any hoops and loops to get rid of the Hybrid forever. Of course none of her friend's were very supportive of the idea of Bonnie pretending to go steady with the Original Vampire, but it was soon discovered that there was no argument to be had. Bonnie had already made the decision to do what she felt was a necessary step forward in the act of killing Klaus, considering this was probably as close to the Original Vampire inner circle any of them were going to get. Although if Damon had just treated Rebekah a little nicer, perhaps none of this nonsense Bonnie was partaking in would be necessary. Then again…if you want something done right, a lot of the times you got to do it yourself.

Bonnie just hopes she could do it all in one piece.

* * *

><p>"You're stupid for thinking this is going to work, Bonnie."<p>

Damon Salvatore's tone is flat, yet carries a heavy weight of anger as he drives the witch's blue Prius to the Mikealson mansion. Elena sits up front in the passenger side, while Matt Donavon shares a spot next to Bonnie in the backseat. The Bennett witch can't help but roll her eyes as she glares out her smudged window, surprised at how desperately she wants to exit the vehicle and proceed to the mansion full of murderous vampires. For the past two days, all everyone has said was what a big mistake Bonnie was making with this plan of hers with Kol. Instead of waiting to see if the plan itself would grow legs and carry on, they instead insisted that Bonnie forget the whole thing and think up a better scenario. But the young girl is smart, and knows that if she doesn't live up to her word to Kol by helping to kill Klaus for good, then there would be the blood of innocents on her hands. And despite how much she still didn't understand how any of this "couple" nonsense played into that, Bonnie had no choice but to rely on faith and a shit-load of good luck.

In the meantime, the young girl can do nothing more but listen to Damon Salvatore yap on and on about how idiotic she had become. "This plan, if that's what it's really considered as," he says condescendingly, "does nothing for us in the long run. All it does is make you a target which in turn causes you to become a liability. We don't need a liability."

"Hey, give her a break, will ya?" Matt interjects Damon's insults for a brief moment before turning to glare at his sullen friend. Some birthday this was turning out to be.

"I've got everything under control," Bonnie says in a less than confident tone.

Elena turns her body around to face her friend, giving her a warm, gentle smile. "We're just worried about you, that's all," the Gilbert girl says, "and we don't want you jumping in head first into something that might get you killed." Bonnie can do nothing but smile at her friend. The Bennett witch believes the words that her friend speaks, but she's not naive enough to believe that she won't be forced to take the front lines in another supernatural battle when the time did arise. Everything that has lead up to this point has been because of Bonnie sacrificing everything that she holds dear, and in return gaining nothing. Kol Mikealson has been the only plan (so far) that hasn't involved her having to sacrifice herself or somebody else. Sure, the time will come as it always did, but at least the window of survival was a lot more broader.

"Whatever," Damon groans as he navigates the car onto the Mikeaslon property, finding a parking spot beneath a shady tree surrounded by dozens of cars. All four passengers hop out of the vehicle, tracing the sound of booming music from several feet away. Laughter, alcohol, and a lack of shame all surround the air around them. Bonnie, walking close to Elena (who's walking even closer to Damon), start to make their way to the front of the mansion. Mystic High teens scatter around the mansion property with red cups in their hands and huge smiles upon their faces. Water is heard splashing in the back of the mansion which indicates the arrival of a swimming pool which was not present before when the group had last visited. In the distance in front of the main door of the mansion, Caroline Forbes stands angrily with her arms crossed over her chest. Her lips barely move as she mumbles curse words under her breath and scales the entire property with judging eyes.

"This party is complete bullshit," Caroline shouts out as her friends reach her. "Kol thinks that the party's theme should be red and green. Really? I mean, any idiot can see that Bonnie looks terrible in those colors." Caroline stops herself before turning to look at the sour-faced witch. "No offense," the blonde quickly apologizes.

Bonnie Bennett glances around with weary eyes, unsure as to why she was getting such a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maybe it was knowing that she was now locked in an estate overrun with hundred-year old vampires, or that this could potentially be the worst birthday in the history of all time - supernatural and human alike. Either way, the young girl just wants to get this day done and over with. No need to prolong this travesty any longer than is has to be.

"I see you've all made it," a voice booms in front of the small group. Damon is the only one who smiles at the sound, taking a step forward to greet his younger sibling. "So I guess that means we've all agreed to this stupid idea of Bonnie's then?" Bonnie merely rolls her eyes at Stefan's condescending words. Just once, she would like for the "old Stefan" to come back to the surface. This "new Stefan" was becoming more and more of a pain in the ass than anybody could imagine. Sort of Damon-like. Freaky.

Elena takes a step towards the younger Salvatore before opening her mouth to speak, "If this is what Bonnie feels is right, then I think we should at least give the situation a try."

"What Bonnie feels just might get us all killed if she doesn't start thinking with her head."

"You don't know her like I do, Stefan."

"Clearly not," Damon interrupts, "otherwise we would have all seen witchy-poo shackin' up with an Original Vampire."

Stefan merely crosses his arms as he smiles at Elena, "my point exactly."

Bonnie stands stationary by her friends while they talk about her as if though she's not standing there. She turns her attention to Matt and gives a weak smile, coming to the conclusion that nothing she does will ever change what's going on in her life. She's still more of a weapon than she is human. Not wanting to listen anymore to the conversation at hand, Bonnie excuses herself from the group and proceeds to search for Kol. She runs across people she knows, and people she doesn't know. Bumping elbows with all of the patrons, she finds herself flinching at the loud music that booms overheard through speakers situated throughout the entire mansion. Every couple seconds Bonnie can catch a peek of the happenings outside in the backyard, noticing some husky teen carry a new keg of beer every five minutes. Speaking of beer, the smell of alcohol is fierce - the kitchen counter is cluttered with bottles of different brands of alcohol, and drinking games are played not too far off to the side. The smell of barbeque permeates through the back of the mansion, causing an involuntarily growl to rumble within the petite witch's stomach.

"Sounds to me like somebody could go for something to eat."

A British voice cuts its way through the crowd of loud teenagers and somehow finds its way to the ears of Bonnie. The young girl takes a moment to find the courage to turn around and face the man whom has spoken.

"Leave me alone, Klaus," Bonnie warns the vampire, not at all surprised to find Elijah approaching nearside his brother.

"Oh, don't be like that, Bonnie," Klaus teases, "not on you and my brother's birthday."

"Funny you should mention birthdays," Elijah interjects as he turns momentarily to glare at Klaus before turning to look at the wide-eyed Bonnie Bennett. "I find it rather odd that after all this time, Kol finally decides to do something human-like, as he would call it, and settle for a birth date. No less on the same date as his apparent human love interest."

"Ever heard of a coincidence?" Bonnie snaps at Elijah who merely smiles back at her. Both vampires seem agitated and resisting the urge to kill each and every person within their beautiful mansion. Though there are fun moments being had within these white colored walls, there was also the dirty side of parties that needed the extra attention; The vomit in the corner, the inexplicable amounts of shattered glass upon numerous spots of the floor, the random fighting, the uncontrollable sobbing…and the list just goes on. Bonnie can start to understand why somebody so reckless as Kol Mikeason would want to royally piss off his stuck-up and overbearing brothers. It almost brings about a small smirk on the young girl's face thinking about it.

"Regardless," Elijah speaks up this time, "we think it best if you save yourself the hardship and end this fiasco with Kol."

"And why would I do that?" Bonnie questions.

"Because he's childish and looking to get under everybody's skin by throwing this juvenile party of his. And because I'm returning the favor to Elena, I feel I should let you know that once my brother is down having his fun with you…well…the rest should be painfully obvious."

"And pain is exactly what you'll feel when it's all said and done," Klaus interjects with a cocky smirk. Bonnie merely shifts her eyes between the two vampires, unable to fight the smug smile upon her face. It amazes the young witch how these two, especially Elijah, can try and place somebody like Kol Mikealson in a bad light when they have done nothing better to show they have a trace of real humanity. Not only that, but they speak about Bonnie like they know her in and out. Like they understand the workings of her mind better than she does. Its laughable and its sad.

Taking a bold step forward, Bonnie holds her head high and crosses her arms over her chest. She's not going to allow herself to be intimidated by the likes of Klaus and Elijah Mikealson. "If either of you are any indication of what you bring to your family, then its no wonder why Kol is the way he is." Though it pains Bonnie to speak up on the younger Mikealson boy's behalf, she knows she has to play up the role of "girlfriend" if she wants this act to work out properly. "Neither of you - for all the shit you have put me and my friends through - have the right to downgrade somebody else. Maybe its not best for me to be with Kol, but perhaps its best for him."

Both Elijah and Klaus exchange looks at each other, drowning out the words of the Bennett witch and becoming more agitated as time passes by. The thumping bass from the music vibrates their bodies which only increases their want to kill something.

"You have been warned, witch." Klaus says more seriously. "If you want to live - you'd stay away from our little brother."

Almost instantly without warning, a blur flashes through the unsuspecting crowd and halts by Bonnie's side in the form of Kol Mikealson. The baby faced vampire smirks at his two brothers with narrow eyes, dressed in (what was appearing to be his official attire) chucks, navy blue jeans, and a hoodie zipped all the way to the top. Bonnie gasps momentarily at the sight of the vampire, but more so when he decides to wrap his arm around the girl's neck. The caramel-skinned girl had to bite the insides of her cheek to keep from uttering an incantation that would light all three of these vampires on fire.

"Brothers, I see you're becoming acquainted with my newest toy," Kol says leaning in to kiss Bonnie on the cheek. Despite the girl's attempts, she tries desperately to pull away while feigning a weak smile upon her face, but instead gives in to the cold kiss upon her cheek. She reminds herself to make Kol's death slow and painful when the day arises. Elijah and Klaus glare upon the "couple" with curious eyes. The reluctance in Bonnie's behavior only cause the two of them to walk away with smug smirks, relishing in the idea that they were right all along in assuming this relationship wouldn't last. Once the two eldest Original Vampires were out of hindsight, Bonnie pulls away from Kol and slaps him on the arm. The man flinches away while giving a cocky grin.

Bonnie points a finger at the man before slowly letting out her warning. "You do that again, and I swear to God, it's the last thing you will do."

"Don't be so hypocritical," Kol says lightly. "You're the one who said that the only way I'd be able to come off convincing to everybody about our relationship, is if I come off more affectionate." It takes Bonnie a few moments to think back on the conversation she had with Caroline at P.E., and she can't help the feeling of wanting to shoot her brains out at that moment. "So as long as you and I are a 'thing', I think it best to appear that way." Stretching out his hand, the dark eyed man waits patiently for Bonnie to submit to his demand and take a hold of his hand. She reluctantly does so, clutching her teeth together as she drags her feet alongside the vampire. "Stop that," Kol says almost seriously. "Holding your hand isn't what its cracked up to be either…but at least I'm smart enough to pretend like it is." The Bennett girl merely rolls her eyes at the statement, not in the mood for another argument.

In the distance, both can catch the weary stares of Matt, Elena, and Caroline. Damon looks more confused than anything, and Stefan appears to be having an aneurism. Kol merely chuckles at the group that stares he and Bonnie down like they are a pair of zoo animals. "Your friends certainly are opinionated, aren't they?" he asks lowly. The irritable witch turns her attention to Kol for a moment before asking what he was implying. "I seem to understand every one of their motives and thoughts…but not you." Bonnie keeps her focus ahead, uninterested in partaking in useless chatter with the vampire. "See…that's exactly my point." Bonnie finally releases a sigh and turns to glare at the man.

"What are you talking about now, Kol?" she hisses out in between gritted teeth.

"I'm talking about you never expressing yourself; never going further than stating the obvious that everybody else is saying. For once, this entire day, I'd like to hear what you think of this party instead of how Caroline feels. Lord knows she's been bitching the entire time she came here."

"I don't have a lot to say," Bonnie almost struggles to say as she and Kol continue hand and hand towards the top of the stairs, passing by a young couple making out on the railing. "When I do say what's on my mind…you'll know."

"That's not good enough for me," Kol says with a shake of his head. "So far the only thing you've been open about is your infatuation with killing me." The young girl hides the smirk on her face by stretching it only to one side of her face. "And though the fiery attitude is always a good selling point, especially when dealing with someone like me, it won't be enough to keep your friends in their place." The girl looks to Kol with narrow eyes, not at all picking up on the subtleties within his words. "Stefan Salvatore thinks you're an idiot, Damon doesn't respect you, Elena treats you like your her property, Caroline acts like she knows what's best for you…should I really go on?"

For a moment, Bonnie can only shift her eyes to the ground as Kol leads the two of them into his mother, Ester's, room. Once inside, he swiftly releases the grip around the young girl's hand and moves around the bedroom in a feverish manner. Bonnie stands watching the man silently but can't help but feel a certain twinge of truth ring in her brain when concerning her friends. Was it possible that these feelings that Bonnie was harboring deep inside of herself are so obvious now? Was she so insignificant that now everybody was able to see it?

Or…was Kol the only person who saw it?

Was he - a total stranger and enemy - able to pick up on Bonnie's heartache better than her group of friends were?

"Bonnie!"

The sound of the girl's name causes the Bennett witch to focus her eyes back to the deep dark eyes of Kol, who stands in front of her with a encyclopedia under his arm. No…not a encyclopedia…a Grimoire. She glares down at the book and then back at Kol with confused eyes.

"What's this for?" Bonnie asks lowly, taking the book into her hands as the vampire hands it to her.

"Its my mother's," Kol responds as he keeps his eyes planted on the worn-out Grimoire, "but now its yours for the time being." The Bennett witch flips through a couple pages of the book, scanning the incantations and smudged drawings within.

"These spells look a bit powerful to master," Bonnie says, "but I can try to see what resources I can draw from them." Kol merely nods his head in understanding. "And if there is something in here that can help me to defeat Klaus, I only hope I'm strong enough to harness whatever power is necessary to do so."

"You're a Bennett…there's nothing you can't do." Kol's words causes the woman to stop momentarily to glare up into those dark abyss of eyes. Closing the book and holding it against her chest, she tries not to let the man's words bring about some gentle emotion to the surface. Regardless of who they were planning to kill together, at the end of the day they are still enemies. End of story.

Preparing to make their way downstairs so that Damon can take the Grimoire someplace safe, Kol hears in the distance a familiar voice. It's Klaus and Elijah talking and making their way upstairs to Esther's room. _'Wonderful', _Kol thinks to himself. Looking around his mother's room which, strangely, had no windows available to escape from, the vampire presses himself against Bonnie's chest, causing their bodies to hide the Grimoire in between the two of them.

"Kiss me," Kol demands as his eyes focus on the exposed door entrance. Bonnie, giving both a shocked and disgusted expression, takes a step back in definace to remove herself from the man. However, forgetting the book is in her hands, Bonnie lets slip the Grimoire that was against her chest so firmly. But with quick reflexes, the black haired vampire pulls her back into position, pressing both of their chests against the Grimoire between the both of them. "Now neither of us can move," he says disappointingly. Without waiting for a response from the fidget, difficult witch, Kol guides Bonnie's hands around his neck while he slides his fingers against her slim waist. He keeps his eyes focused on the open door, taking note of the increasing shadows that begin to stretch themselves across the walls outside the room.

Furrowing her brow and standing still as a statue, Bonnie stabs daggers into the vampire with piercing emerald eyes. "I hate you for this," she says.

"Kiss me now…hate me later." And with that, Kol goes in for the kill, planting his lips against the delicate peddles of Bonnie Bennett. The kiss is innocent enough; closed-mouth, no wondering hands and no moaning. Both individuals keep their eyes closed and not once try to attempt an open mouth kiss. At first, Kol was hoping that the kiss would somehow bring about the same kind of kiss Amelia use to give him…that was…if he could remember how he use to kiss her. God - how he hates having a faded memory that he deems important. Regardless, this it the first kiss Kol has had in…well, he can't remember when he kissed somebody. Even the girls he picks up and takes back to his mansion, he never thinks about kissing them.

No kissing; that's the rules.

Has been for a very long time.

Until the day he met Amelia.

And, subsequently, with Bonne Bonnie.

A subtle knock on the door frame is both Bonnie and Kol's cue to pull away from each other. Bonnie keeps her back to the vampire brothers that have just intruded in while Kol glares up at his disgusted siblings with a cocky smile.

"Brothers…what can I do you for?" Kol's chipper attitude has a way of masking even the most complicated of facades and lies.

Klaus is the first to speak, "We came to tell you that this party of yours is ruining the decor I've worked hard to put together. So either hurry and wrap it all up…or I will."

"What our brother is trying to say," Elijah politely interrupts , taking a small step forward as he glances over at Bonnie with narrow eyes, "is that its getting late. Despite the council being accepting of us living here, I doubt they'll be okay with the fact that we threw a kegger for a majority of Mystic High student body. We don't need to draw more attention to this place than you already have. You can understand I'm sure?"

"Sure…halt the party before it even starts." Kol's comment is only met with a tighter squeeze upon Bonnie's body as the Grimoire nearly slips from between their chests.

"Just hurry it up, Kol," Elijah continues, "because you will be the one to clean all this up when its all said and done." As Klaus and Elijah make their way back downstairs, the dignified vampire stops suddenly and turns to glance at Bonnie one last time. A small smirk stretches across his face before he fixes the cuffs on his suit and disappears.

Bonnie releases a long sigh and brings her hands back to the book between them, clutching it once more upon her chest.

"Was it as good for you as it was for me?" Kol asks teasingly. The Bennett witch merely rolls her eyes, aggravated that she allowed the man to put his dead, cold lips on hers.

"Lets just go," the girl demands harshly, "I don't want to be cooped up in here with you any longer."

Its silent for a moment as Bonnie pulls out her cell phone, sending a text to Damon summoning him to come upstairs and swiftly get the Grimoire out of the mansion. Once Damon does make it upstairs and proceeds to make it out of Esther's room with the book in hand, Bonnie and Kol stand stationary near each other, dreading having to go back downstairs and acting like a happy couple. But before either take hold of the other's hand, Kol opens his mouth to speak.

"I'm a much better kisser," he says. The brunette witch can't help but scoff at the egotistical statement.

"Yeah, well don't flatter yourself. I only let you kiss me because I figured you needed the practice." Bonnie's comment only brings about a chuckle from the overconfident vampire. "What's so funny?" the girl asks.

"That fiery attitude - its creepy back up to the surface. I like it."

"Whatever, lets just go."

"Wait," Kol takes a step closer to Bonnie again, prompting her to take a weary step back. The man merely rolls his eyes, propping his head to the side. Lifting a hand up, the man lightly slides a finger across the woman's forehead to lead a strain of hair out of the girl's face, tucking it behind her ear. "There's no reason the birthday girl can't look halfway decent." The man's comment momentarily distracts Bonnie from the fact that he's touching her and instead forces her to reflect back to just exactly what a "birthday" means to her.

"It's just a birthday," the girl says solemnly as she stares off into the distance before pulling herself away from the vampire. "It's nothing special." Kol gives a bewildered look, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I find that hard to believe," he responds.

"Believe what you want, its just another day to me."

"So you're not the least bit happy about today?"

"No."

"Even with this party I threw for you?"

Bonnie can't help but let out a scoff at the man's wrods, finding it rather hard to believe that this party was created solely for her. In fact, she's finding it hard to believe that anything that has happened would serve a purpose in killing Klaus. For all she knows, this could be some elaborate scheme made up by all the Originals to entrap her somehow. Her trust in Kol at the moment is slim to none.

And yet, sadly, there is still trust.

"Stop trying to figure me out, Kol." Bonnie warns the Original Vampire who, of course, takes it as a challenge on his behalf.

"Well you're not willing to speak the truth to me, so I have no other alternative but to pry until I see something I want."

"And what exactly is it that you want?"

"The truth."

Bonnie gives a disbelieving smile at the vampire before her, head held high and eyes wide open. "The truth is that I'm tired; I'm tired of having to fight people like you who have no regard for anything or anybody. I'm tired of people like you who use and abuse people to get what they want…its not right."

"Like your friends use and abuse you?" Kol suggests. The young witch merely rolls hers eyes, not wanting to hear him go on again about how she has terrible friends. "You want to know a secret, Bonnie?"

"No."

"Well…I'm going to tell you anyway. I am the way I am because I was like you." Bonnie can't help but shift her eyes momentarily at the vampire, searching his dead eyes for the truth. "I let everybody in my family use and abuse me; I put myself second all the time and never spoke up about it. I gave so much of myself that it became physically exhausting at some points. Then I became a vampire, and things just got worse."

"How so?" Bonnie doesn't even hear herself ask the question, it just comes out. Kol is reluctant to speak, still keeping his emotions turned off though still allowing for his story to be told. If the Bennett witch was going to continue working with him, she was going to sooner or later have to learn to gain a backbone. And from who better than the master of confidence himself.

"Me always being the responsible one in my human life, I felt it my responsibility to clean up the messes of my siblings. Especially since our now dearly departed father had decided to hunt us down like animals during the time. Take Finn for example - before he became the soft spoken saint he is today, he was no better than that Ripper that my brother, Niklaus, fawns over so much." Kol finds himself smirking as his mind is able to remember the alleyways full of rotting bodies left behind by his brother. "In order to keep our father off his tail, I had to constantly clean up the bodies he left behind; bodies of women, men…children…babies. Then there was Elijah, who still holds up that incredible standard he expects everybody to be on. He would not drink blood at all, from human or animal. He wanted to die - hoping the day would come when our father finally came to kill him. I talked him out of it when all of my other siblings ran to save their own asses."

Bonnie listens to Kol talk and is flabbergasted that these vampires started off so…rough. They all had a story to tell, but they hide behind them with their ruthlessness and monstrous attitudes.

"Then there's my twin, Rebekah. She was a bit different; she was a bit like you…so codependent on everybody else, without realizing her worth. I'm still trying to work on that attitude adjustment today, but she's now able to at least fight her own battles. No longer needing her favorite brother to stand there and babysat her. And finally we come to Niklaus…the brother who I gave the most to only to be back stabbed in the end." Kol notices the look of intrigued upon Bonnie's face. He merely smirks, seeing no harm telling her at least a fraction of the story. Even if his other siblings were listening in, it would at least sell the fact that Kol wouldn't be telling this bit of information to anybody he wasn't extremely close to, and since Bonnie is his supposed girlfriend, why the hell not? "Before anyone else knew what was going on, I was helping Klaus try to find Katherine so he could carry on with his idiotic plan to create hybrids. I killed whoever he wanted, compelled whoever he wanted, and did whatever he wanted me to do."

"He's your brother," Bonnie clarifies to the man softly, still unsure why she feels it necessary to chime in.

"He was my best friend," Kol corrects the woman. "And please…don't interrupt me again." He gives a stoic look that the young witch merely nods her head at in understanding. "Anyway," he continues, "Klaus and I, even before he and Elijah became good chums, were inseparable. We planned to rule this world together with an iron thumb with no regards with rules and no fear of our father. Then I realized slowly that the more I supplied for Klaus, the less I became his friend and more his slave. First the threats came, than physical harm, and then finally…" Kol stops himself abruptly, shifting his eyes to the ground. "…at first I had no choice but to leave everyone behind. I went out to find my own identity and discover who I really was. I gained my confidence and I gained my own voice; finally being able to speak up for myself. So when the time came when we all met with one another again, and everybody changed in some way or fashion, my character adjustment somehow seemed to be the worse of us all. Of course Rebekah over time learned to accept the perfect specimen that I am now…but it wasn't always that way. The moment they all discovered I would no longer be their lapdog, they turned their backs on me - claiming that I changed for the worst and I somehow became selfish. But you see…its easy to see the selfishness in one who has been nothing but selfless all their life."

Bonnie opens her mouth to speak, but quickly goes against it as she is reminded of Kol's earlier reminder. The man is impressed as he subtly nods his head, giving her permission to speak. "First, let me say thank you," she starts to say, "for sharing that all with me. However, I can't say that I understand why you are the way you are. I've never seen you selfless so I'm doubtful if such an action is possible with you."

Kol can't help but laugh. _'FINALLY!'_, he thinks to himself in glee. _'Some truth coming from the witch, even if it's the most insignificant type of truth'_. Bonnie finds herself smirking at the man's honest laugh, finding it somewhat delightful to be in the presence of the man when he wasn't acting like a complete psychopath.

"My being stabbed in the heart with the dagger was my selfless act," Kol tells the girl, "a sacrifice that was suppose to save somebody very important to me." Kol smirks wider. "A Bennett."

Bonnie closes her eyes momentarily and shakes her head, unsure she heard what she had just heard. She opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out but inaudible sounds and mumblings.

"Her name was Amelia Bennett. A nineteen year old runaway who had given up a child to her grandparents. She was broken and sad inside, but still managed to carry on a smile and keep others' spirits high. Even when she knew that her life meant nothing to Niklaus and her whole purpose to him was to die, she'd never stop smiling. At first she disgusted me; How could anyone be so foolish as to willingly give their life away to somebody like my brother? Then I realized that she was doing exactly what I had been doing my entire life. What you're doing now, Bonnie...being taken advantage of by people who claim to love you." The young Bennett shifts her eyes away from Kol before he continues on with his story. "Either way, somewhere down the line I fell in love with that woman, and she fell in love right back. Unfortunately with the decision of falling in love also came the decision of Amelia no longer becoming the sacrificial lamb for my brother. This did not bode well with Niklaus in the slightest. Thus, somehow he found the location of the baby she gave up months prior to her runaway and threatened to kill the infant if Amelia didn't heed to their deal. Of course, she cooperated, because she was selfless and wanted to keep me and her baby safe. But as punishment on my part for nearly ruining my brother's plan, I had to dagger myself in front of her…while he watched."

Bonnie doesn't understand why she is getting misty-eyed, but its so rare to hear stories about her family. Though when she does, it always seems to end in a horrific tragedy. Clearly she was destined for the same fate.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie whispers lowly, looking down at the ground. Kol only releases a long sigh, not daring to unlock his emotions for a split second. He was merely making a point.

"In the end," Kol continues, "before the dagger took complete control of my body and forced me to enter a deep sleep, I was able to catch a glimpse of Niklaus devouring Amelia's neck viciously while his new witch, Gloria, stood in the emerged from the background. I should have known better; her entire purpose was to die anyway. But because she trusted my brother and the false friendship that was built between them…she paid the ultimate cost. And because I felt obligated to help Niklaus with his little hybrid problem, my selflessness lead me to dagger myself - although in my mind, it will always be Klaus who stuck the dagger me. He lied, and for that, he will die."

Putting his hands behind him, the outspoken vampire takes a step towards Bonnie with a smirk on his face. He knows he probably took about ten to fifteen minutes of her time talking her ear off. But Kol loves to talk…and talk…and talk…and talk. What was rare was finding somebody willing to listen (willing, as opposed to compulsion).

"Here's my point, Bonnie," Kol begins, "be cautious of how much love you put into others, especially when you haven't learned to love yourself. Cause once the time comes for you to go forth and live your own life and do what you want to do…your so called friend's will somehow hold you back by exploiting your weakness for being nice. Its time to stop being nice, Bennett. That was Amelia's biggest mistake. Don't make the same one."

Without warning a figure makes its way to the door entrance, surprising Bonnie but only irritating Kol. Stefan Salvatore stands with a cocky smile and arms crossed over his chest, observing the duo in front of him.

"Everybody is wondering where the happy couple has run off to," Stefan says, leaning against the door-frame. He turns his attention to Bonnie, arching a judging eyebrow. "We need to go."

"Why so soon? We just got here." Bonnie asks.

"You wanted us to get that book out of here, and its done. We did our job, now its time for you to do yours." Kol merely scoffs, seeing that his entire speech might have been for nothing as Bonnie seems to start making her way to the grand staircase.

But then…she stops.

She halts right before her foot can make it to the first step down the stairs.

"No." Bonnie says calmly before turning to glance at Stefan who lets out an aggravated sigh. "We're not leaving yet."

"No we're not, but you are." Stefan's tone raises slightly.

"This is Kol and I's plan…not yours, Stefan. This is our thing, so I'd appreciate it if you let me handle this please."

"Look, Bonnie, I overheard Kol's little story of woe and tragedy-"

"Careful, mate…" Kol warns, but it grants no reaction from Stefan.

"Anyway," Stefan continues, "you're doing just what we all said he'd do; he's getting in your head and trying to turn you against us. Then what? Leave Elena to fend for herself?"

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for Elena," Bonnie corrects the man, "that much should be obviously clear at this point. But for once, I would like to find a plan that doesn't involve me having to sacrifice myself every waking moment of the day. Hell…this is suppose to be my birthday, and I still can't enjoy it because I have to worry about being killed at every corner or every second. And you pretending like you don't give a damn about me is becoming more stressful then it needs to be. So please, I'm asking you as a friend to trust me on this." Stefan clenches his jaw at the woman. "You can leave if you feel it necessary…but I'm staying."

"Y'know what? Why don't you just spend the night here instead? Damon and the rest of us will just come up with a plan to keep Elena safe on our own." As Stefan turns his back to walk away, Bonnie finds herself fuming at the vampire. Through her peripheral she can see Kol coming to stand beside her, which somehow forces his earlier words to resonate throughout her head.

"You do that, Stefan," Bonnie calls out which forces the Salvatore to halt in his stride towards the stairs, "You tell everybody that crazy-ol' Bonnie Bennett is being selfish and not considering anybody elses feelings. Tell 'em that I'm just teaming up with a psychotic vampire for my health while I prance around this crappy party holding his hand."

"Ouch," Kol's comment is ignored by the fuming witch.

"I know you've got your opinions about me, Stefan. And that's fine, because I've got my opinions of you. But don't ever question my love or loyalty towards any of **MY** friends…because you will always lose. Elena knows that I will give my last dying breath for her, which is a lot more than either you or that dick of a brother of yours has done." Kol can't help but smirk at the words being spoken - this is the Bonnie Bennett he needed working with him. "Now if you're down throwing your hissy fit, I suggest you go downstairs and wait for me to finish conducting my business with Kol. Otherwise, you can follow your original plan and just fuck off."

A tear finds its way rolling down the caramel cheek of the witch. She hates herself at this point - hates that she has so foolishly and suddenly taken Kol's advice into action, and hates what has become of her friendships with everybody. Things have become a bit more strained since her independent decision to team with the youngest Original. Nevertheless…it was obvious that no matter what happened, Bonnie's ass would be put on the line of fire no matter who she was aligned with. It only seemed more appropriate that she decided her fate using her mind instead of - oh, I don't know - a coin.

As Stefan silently departs down the stairs, Bonnie quickly wipes the tear away from her face and awaits a smart-ass remark to slip from the lips of the Mikealson vampire. At first, he's silent doing nothing more than taking the hand of the Bennett witch and leading her down the stairs towards the party.

"Now, didn't that feel good to say?" Kol leans in to whisper into Bonnie's ear as they make their way to the bottom of the stairs.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asks, dreading the answer.

"The truth."

Bonnie remains silent, still feigning a smile in front of the guests who came for her birthday party while her friends stand in the background, not sure what is becoming of the old Bonnie.

* * *

><p><strong>Independent!BonnieSassy!Bonnie FTW! So was this chapter as good for you as it...nevermind, lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was a true blast to write (but also draining). If anything, this is my answer for missing two weeks worth of updating. I'll try my hardest to be more up to speed with that. In any case, this birthday is not done yet. Next chapter, the birthday will continue, and an old flame makes its way into the picture. Also, how are we liking the turn of events towards Bonnie/Kol's relationship. One would think the kiss would be the determining factor on their union, when in fact its their similarities in being hurt by the people they love that could possibly bring them in together. Thnx u guys for all the luv and support of this story, it means a lot to me. Stay tuned for the next chapter and more surprising twists and turns. Peace! :)**


	9. Birthday Lesson II

**It took much longer than I had anticipated, but I finally got it done!**

**Sorry again, for such the prolonged waits, I really do try and get these stories in as fast as possible. But I never want to just rush them either. **

**This chapter was tricky...I didn't want to overload it with a bunch of plot stuff, but I also didn't want it to be filled with mindless dialogue. I tired to find a nice balance for this long little piece. I think I'm making Kennett a bit more reluctant than I did Bamon (if only because my version of Kennett is a bit darker). Just the same, I tried to fit in what I could through a lot of people's suggestions and the likes of such.**

**Thank you all, you wonderful readers, for sticking by and reading these stories (whether you're a new reader or not). I really do enjoy the fact that these stories, despite their prolonged upload dates, are still appreciated and asked for by many of you. Gotta say, it feels good to know these little stories are getting the feedback they do.**

**But enough of my rambling...check out this new ubber long chapter just for you long time folks who waited all year (goodness...a year? I need to get it together, lol). Enjoy! ;)**

* * *

><p><strong>Birthday Lesson II<strong>

It's not easy having to stroll around the birthday party on Kol Mikaelson's arm…but the Bennett witch does what she has to do to sell the idea of the two of them being a real couple. Bonnie's hand grips Kol's hand tightly as he drags her from one part of the mansion to the next, introducing her to nearly all of the guests who attended. She merely smiles with a gleeful expression, though internally she wants to scream out in anger and frustration for having to take up this delusional role of "happy girlfriend" to Kol Mikaelson.

But what's really difficult is having to do all of this in front of her friends while they stare at her wearily from a distance. Its hard for Bonnie to even glare in their general direction, for she already knows they are all boring holes into the side of her face with looks of judgment. The group has their own thoughts and opinions on the deal Bonnie had made with Kol, and the decision she made to go "rogue" within the inner circle. Bonnie can only hope that it doesn't cause too big of a rift between her and her friends - although she is less inclined to patch things up quickly with the likes of Stefan and Damon Salvatore).

Kol and Bonnie trail slowly pass the swarms of teenagers until they are situated outside near the swimming pool where Rebekah resides. She sits at the edge of the pool, her feet playfully kicking at the water as she flirts shamelessly with all of the boys who try and swoon her. Kol watches his twin with a disgruntled snarl upon his lips, unknowingly tightening his grip on Bonnie's hand. The green eyed brunette quickly snatches her hand away before furrowing her eyes at the vampire.

"What the hell?!" she asks angrily, though is unable to get the response she hopes for as Kol swiftly makes his way over towards his sibling. He glares around at the flock of boys who surround Rebekah, using every fiber in his body to keep from ripping them all from limb to limb.

"Hello, brother," Rebekah chimes with a small smile, leaning back against her arms as she stares up at the dark-eyed vampire. Kol remains silent for a moment as he judgingly looks down at his blonde twin, a small growl rumbling in his chest. At that moment it becomes obvious to Rebekah why her brother is currently upset, which prompts her to quickly dismiss all of her young suitors. Its irritating to do, but she'd rather not have her deranged brother do something dangerously stupid that the whole family will regret later. Despite the inconsistencies of such organization like the council, Rebekah knew better than to underestimate any opponent that came her way, no matter how incompetent they appeared. She found that out the hard way with Elena Gilbert…she wouldn't be making that mistake again. "Honestly Kol, you're starting to become a buzz kill at your own party," Rebekah says, followed by a long sigh.

"So long as you're my sister, Bekah, you'll do well than to mingle with the likes of humans." Kol's words are only met with a look of disbelief as the blonde vampire shoots up from her seat and stands defiantly in front of her brother. Hands on her hips and head held high, Rebekah smirks at the equally smug look upon her brother's face.

"That's awfully rich coming from a man who decides to mingle with the likes of a human himself." Blue eyes cut over towards Bonnie who stands idly on the opposite side of the pool. A short scoff slips from in-between her lips. "She's not even pretty."

Kol takes a bold step forward, his hands behind his back to showcase the gentleman he really is when he wants to be. It would have been very hard to distinguish him from Elijah at that moment were it not for the attire. "Bonnie is not a human," Kol says with a smile, "and unlike that Donavan boy, she's not as easy to kill. You'd do well to remember that the next time you want to surround yourself with the likes of prepubescent teenagers. Although killing them out of spite does seem like such an equally satisfying idea, too." Rebekah remains quiet, watching as her brother slowly turns his back to his sister and begins to walk away triumphantly - relishing in the fact that the girl is just no good at arguing with him.

"You know you only have so many more people in this family to push away," Rebkah says aloud, trying to speak over the thumping sound of the music blasting through the two giant speakers situated outside. "You work so hard to destroy our happiness that you don't even see that we're not your enemy. I'm not your enemy." Kol remains silent, his dark eyes shifting towards the ground before turning to glance at Bonnie who is still unmoved at her spot across the pool. Briefly, he turns to look at Rebekah but says nothing for a moment.

He hates having to hurt Rebekah the way he has…but he's not the type of man that forgives and forgets. He knew that Rebekah was very much apart of Klaus' plan to create his hybrid army - the same plan that had gotten Amelia killed. How was he supposed to let that go? How was he suppose to pretend that his sister was more innocent than Klaus was? Anybody who has to do with this hybrid nonsense might as well be dead in his eyes…even if that involves his twin sister.

"When you neglected to take that dagger from my heart while I laid dormant in that coffin, you had already decided which brother was more important to you," Kol says in a low voice. He tries not to showcase how much his sister's actions hurt him, but it's hard to keep such emotions from his closest sibling. "So many opportunities you had to come and release me from my slumber, but you chose to chase after some idiotic love affair with that Stefan Salvatore. It's no wonder you're so attracted to such immature love affairs." Rebekah crosses her arms over her chest as her brother continues to speak harshly from his heart. "You might not be at the top of my revenge list…but don't push me, sister. I have nothing but time on my side…remember that." And with that, Kol continues to walk forth and meet with Bonnie who glares confusingly at the unusually calm vampire.

She wishes she was able to hear the conversation that transpired - to hear the words Kol spoke which left Rebekah looking broken and distraught. But a voice inside her tells her to stay out of it…to keep her nose out of vampire business. The voice mimics that of her Grams; the sweet, confident voice that Bonnie prays will one day come back to her and helo guide her through this mess she has lead herself into.

Bonnie walks beside Kol who is now unusually quite. He still keeps a small smirk plastered upon his face, but there's a tense nature to it…a reluctance suddenly overtaking his usually overconfident stance. The Bennett witch is wary to ask the man about his "problem", thus deciding rather quickly not to tread such deep waters when it came to the many thoughts of the disturbed man. Both Kol and Bonnie take refugee outside the front of the mansion towards the front lawn full of parked cars. Kol stops near a random car, leaning his back against it before turning to furrow his eyes at Bonnie.

"You know, you don't have to follow me everywhere I go," Kol says with a small scoff. Bonnie, feeling rather foolish that she did follow the man from what felt like instinct, merely perches her lips together and turns her head away from the man.

"I didn't know what else to do," Bonnie responds with a shrug, "so I figured that keeping close to you would be the next best option."

"Touching…but I don't need two shadows in my wake, dear. You might be use to being a watch dog to your friends, but those services aren't quite needed yet with me." Bonnie pauses as she glares at the man and his unapologetic attitude towards her.

"Do you always have to be an ass?" the Bennett witch asks, frustrated and tired of the snarky attitude. Kol merely glares at the woman with a deadpan expression, shrugging his shoulders before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Being an ass, as you so eloquently put it, has kept me alive this long."

"Yeah, I've heard that line before."

"Oh? And from whom, if you don't mind my asking?" Kol leans off the car a bit to feign a look of interest to Bonnie. She takes a few steps forward until she was a safe enough distance form the testy man.

"Damon Salvatore," Bonnie says to which Kol merely furrows his eyes in confusion.

"I fail to see the point to your comparison," he says.

"Damon fell obsessively in love with a woman he was not destined to be with. Through the centuries he allowed his pain to manifest into murderous rage, leaving behind a path of destruction. Don't tell me that doesn't sound familiar." Kol might have been dead silent, but the mocking smile stretching across his face spoke volumes on what he though of the Bennett girl's analogy.

"So because you think I fell in love with a woman who died prematurely, it altered my vampire behavior?" It's not a real question, but he still wants a peek into the witch's thought-process. Nevertheless, Bonnie remains silent as she shifts her emerald eyes down at the ground, figuring this whole conversation would just fall upon deaf ears. "It's certainly a plausible and fantastical scenario…but I am nothing like that Damon Salvatore. I am Kol Mikaelson: Original Vampire. I kill simply because I can, not because of some girl I fell in love with." The words sound true enough, but neither Bonnie or Kol are sure if they put real stock into them.

"Then why are you so angry? Why is it the only time I saw an inclining of humanity was when you spoke of Amelia?" Kol rolled his eyes as he looked off into the distance, clinching his jaw to keep from saying less than gentleman-like things.

"Why should it matter to you what I'm feeling, witch?" His words come out harsh and direct. "You, of all people, have been working the hardest to try and kill my family. Now you want me to have a heart-to-heart with you?" Kol scoffs. "Please don't insult my intelligence."

It should be obvious to Bonnie that nothing she says is going to penetrate through Kol's thick skull. He's too damn stubborn to open up pass the fact he was in love with her ancestor. If nothing more, it was merely a ploy to get her to feel sympathy for him…thus he was unwillingly to show any towards her. And though Bonnie could care less just what Kol thought of her inside and out, she wasn't going to continue to work with somebody who only allowed their point of view to be shared. Thus, if he wants her to be more assertive and outspoken, then that's exactly what she'll do.

"Lets get something straight right now, buddy" Bonnie begins to say, making her way in front of Kol and invading his personal space. He merely looks at her with a curious brow that arches up. "You are nothing without me. This little plan of yours isn't worth the time or day without a witch - and since I'm the only one in town, you'd do well to remember that I will be respected so long as we're working together." The dark-eyed vampire's face is less than amused at the words being presented to him.

"Don't think so highly of yourself. There are plenty of witches for me to choose from…you're just more convenient."

Bonnie merely smirks at the man's words, actually feeling confident in what she speaks next. "But I'm a Bennett witch, Kol. And you of all people should know that other witches pale in comparison to our power. You got a taste of that when I dropped you on Caroline's front porch…snatching that air away from you like I was taking candy from a baby." Kol suddenly growls menacingly in Bonnie's face which causes her to momentarily flinch. The flinch almost diminishes all that she had said to the man, but the conflicted look upon his face is more than enough to convince her that she got the man finally thinking. Thinking past witty one-liners and sarcastic comments to throw in her general direction. No - she has the man thinking about more than just himself for once…

Taking a step back, Kol can't help but let out an irritated sigh. He wants so desperately to kill her, but he knows that she has a point. He can't kill her…not now at least. Similar to what Stefan Salvatore said many nights ago, she was too valuable an asset to let slip from his grasps. Especially while she was too preoccupied to focus on her band of merry friends. Tilting his head to the side, the vampire nods his head once to showcase that he understands where the woman is coming from with her words. Bonnie suppresses a triumphant smile that wants so desperately to gloat in the face of Kol.

"But don't get too cocky…I'm sure there are many more Bennett witches out there. Lord knows I only need one." The man's words easily suppress the smile that was struggling against the young woman's mouth.

"Sorry…am I interrupting something here?"

A familiar voice creeps-up from behind Bonnie which makes her heart sink into her stomach. Kol takes immediate notice of the shocked expression upon the witch's face and shifts his eyes to examine the dark haired, brown-eyed teenager that stands a few feet away with a wrapped gift in his hands. Reluctantly, Bonnie turns to face the boy that she had once called her boyfriend.

"Jeremy…" It's a name Bonnie has not spoken in some time. "What are you doing here?" Jeremy, still keeping his eyes planted on Kol, slowly approach Bonnie before wrapping an arm around her to embrace in a hug.

"It's your birthday, Bonnie," the boy says in a tone that suggests the answer should have been obvious. "That, and Caroline threatened to kill me if I didn't come down to wish you well in person." A chuckle slips from the girl's lips, a bright smile stretching over her face. Bonnie didn't realize how much she missed Jeremy…how much she had missed just being in his presence. But with every good thought comes a bad one. The girl can't forget Jeremy's infidelity and the trust that was shattered between them. She can't cave in and fall into his arms because of her willingness to be ignorant to the truth. It would not only jeopardize her principles, but it would open herself up to being hurt again.

After handing Bonnie her wrapped birthday present, Jeremy finds himself staring down the man who is leaning against one of the many cars parked in the front of the mansion. Neither speak to one another, and instead seem to wait until Bonnie initiates some sort of push. Against the woman's better wishes, she decides to introduce the two of them.

"Kol this is Jeremy; a good friend and Elena's brother." Jeremy brings a hand out for Kol to shake, but the smug vampire silently declines the offer. The Gilbert boy merely scoffs at the lack of respect, shrugging off the notion as nothing more than some prick attitude. Hating that the atmosphere has grown more awkward simply because of a missing hand-shake, Bonnie reluctantly tries to continue forth with the introductions. "Jeremy this is Kol…my…" Bonnie's entire mouth becomes dry and her breathing quickens. She doesn't want to say it. She can't it. It just doesn't seem right to do in the face of Jeremy. Fortunately (and unfortunately) for her, Kol has no desire to be cordial at all with the Gilbert boy.

"Kol Mikaelson…Bonnie's boyfriend."

Bonnie refuses to look at the expression upon Jeremy's face as Kol mutters his words aloud smugly. She wishes instead to just turn around and slap the living shit out of the Original Vampire for being so damn…rude.

"Boyfriend?" Jeremy turns his attention to Bonnie with an inquisitive expression. "Wow…I didn't expect you to bounce back so quickly." The Bennett witch remains silent, wanting desperately to explain to him that this wasn't her. This - whatever the hell she has with Kol - is nothing more than just a cover up to keep from the suspicious eyes of the other Mikaelson vampires. She wants to say these things…but can not.

"I've been surprising myself a lot these past few weeks," she responds back as honestly as possible.

"Yeah." Jeremy says simply. It's quiet for a moment, leaving the two exes to drift off into memories of a time that was once filled with love and hope. Seemed impossible with the likes of Kol Mikaelson in the mix now. "Well," the Gilbert boy continued, "I better go inside and prove to Caroline that I didn't flake out. Last thing I need is for her to bite my head off…literally." Bonnie chuckles as Jeremy turns to make way towards the mansion, leaving the girl to wallow in her own thoughts. Kol had been taking notice of every expression that transpired through the girl's face since she started her conversation with Jeremy, making it fairly easy to put two and two together.

"So did you break up with him, or did he break up with you?" Kol's question comes out without hesitation, warranting a look of disgust from the Bennett witch. She dares not to have this conversation with the vampire, especially not after how rude he was to Jeremy.

"I'm not having this conversation with you," Bonnie says confidently as she moves forward towards the mansion, only to be blocked instantly by the stature of the Mikaelson vampire. "…move."

"If he's your ex boyfriend, don't you think I should know about him? We are supposed to be a couple after all."

"A couple of what? Crazy people?" The words almost come out as a shout which surprise even Bonnie. "Kol I'm not having this conversation with you even if it's the last thing I ever do."

"That can be arranged," he says taking a bold step forward, but is instantly thrown off but the shove Bonnie delivers to his chest. An unnecessary stumble back and a real look of confusion overtake Kol's face.

"Just stop it!" she screams out. "Just stop! God, its no wonder nobody in your family wants you around. You just don't know when to quite, do you?"

Kol finds himself furrowing his brows as the witch's words pierce him unexpectedly. "Watch it, witch," he warns.

"Screw you," she hisses, "I've had just about enough of you thinking yourself so much better than anybody, when the truth of the matter is you're just as pathetic as the rest of your family." Kol can feel his blood boil as his face slowly transitions into that of the vampire within.

"You say one more words, so help me…I will end your miserable, unworthy life right now." Bonnie takes an unexpected step forward, pushing against the man's chest again which makes him stumble back.

"I don't care," Bonnie says. Suddenly, Kol rushes forward with Bonnie in his grip. He slams the young girl hard against one of the nearby cars, causing a window to immediately crack. The young girl lets out a short whimper of pain but doesn't let it prolong - she instead wants to dedicate every moment now to stand her ground bravely while staring up at the original vampire with challenging eyes. After so many run-ins with death, Bonnie is confident enough to say that death is no longer a fear in her life. Since the manifestation of her powers, Bonnie has been surrounded by nothing but death. Hell, she died more times than she should cont on one hand…what made Kol any different? Why should death by his hand be any different than the many other deaths she had already experienced?

Kol stands there, his hands griping the girl's arms - still keeping her pressed against the car. He looks at her up and down, not sure whether to be disgusted or impressed with the creature who so boldly challenges him. There are so many reasons up to this point why he could kill her.

Yet he doesn't.

"You're nothing like Amelia," Kol says in what can only be deduced as disappointment. Yeah - disappointment. He has to admit to himself…he was hoping there was something there. Some inkling of hope that maybe Bonnie harbored a large part of her ancestor within herself. But she doesn't. The girls who stands before her is Bonnie Bennett, and not Amelia Bennett. She is her own woman…her own entity. And right now she is here while Amelia is not. Sad but true.

Slowly dropping his hands and allowing Bonnie the freedom to move again, Kol stares down at her with narrow eyes and perched lips. He doesn't say anything - instead he just stands there looking at her. Trying to figure her out the best way he can. How can somebody so young be so brave in the face of death? How can someone so young challenge a man like himself? Questions to ponder most certainly.

Brushing past Kol and rushing back to the mansion, Bonnie tries her hardest to hide her anger from her friends. The last thing she needs to hear is a bunch of "I told you so" on her birthday. As for Kol, he decides to make a swift exit through the tree lines of the woods. He has to ponder two very important questions to himself…kill the witch, or let her live?

* * *

><p>An hour almost passes by and nobody seems to know where Kol Mikealson has run off. Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah all sound off their usual threats to Bonnie and her friends, but it doesn't bring any of them closer to the knowledge of the vampire's whereabouts. The young Bennett tries not to let the man's absence upset her too much, but she can't help but feel the dark haired, dark-eyed man is probably out killing innocents in response to his anger towards her. She couldn't live with that sort of blood on her hands…that sort of crippling guilt.<p>

But, to much of her surprise, Kol does return. Bonnie side-eyes the man for a moment, more than confident that she'd find traces of blood on his clothes or underneath his fingernails. And though she wasn't able to see it clearly with her naked eye, she was sure the vampire was up to no good. She approached Kol swiftly, moving past all the guest without any regard to whether or not she caused them to spill their drinks or drop their food.

"Where the hell have you been?" she asks in between gritted teeth. Kol doesn't answer, instead slowly making his way through the heavy crowd with a large pink box in his palms. Bonnie follows the man still asking probing questions until they reach the huge, round dinning room table. The vampire sets down the pink box and goes to open it, revealing a chocolate cake inside with the words "Happy Birthday, Witch" written across it with green icing. Bonnie looks at the cake and is immediately unimpressed. Happy Birthday, Witch? What kind of shit is that? "Seriously?" she questions lowly as Kol pulls out the cake and places it on the edge of the table, where he prompts Bonnie to go take a seat. She's reluctant at first but soon obeys the command.

From within his pockets, Kol then pulls out a single birthday candle that he sticks in the very center of the cake. Bonnie finds herself growing more confused than annoyed now at this point, and can only speculate exactly what it is the Mikaelson is up to. She watches as he goes to take a seat next to her, wrapping an arm around her and keeping his face stone-cold. Emerald-eyes examine the nonchalant creature next to her as she watches him then light the top of the candle with a lighter.

"What are you up to?" she asks worriedly. Still, he says nothing. Signaling anybody nearby to turn off the lights, Kol only speaks up when demanding the crowd to sing happy birthday on the count of three. It's awkward for Bonnie to witness as she is unsure exactly what brought about this change in demeanor?

Once the crowd is done singing and chanting and clapping aloud, they anticipate when Bonnie blows out her candle. She's sits there, Kol's arm wrapped tightly around her, unable to even comprehend just what is happening. Bonnie glares at Kol with furrowed eyes, still waiting for some sort of answer from the man.

"Kol…what did you do? What are you up to?" she asks him lowly, only bringing about a couple of curious glances from the party. The Mikealson vampire merely smiles, not at all phased by the witch's wary question.

"Proving that I'm not just as pathetic as the rest of my family." Bonnie sits there, eyes still furrowed and her mind still going through a million questions at a time. Kol turns to look at Bonnie and lets out a small chuckle. "Will you blow out the candle before the wax covers the whole bloody thing?" Hesitant at first, Bonnie goes to blow out the candle and is greeted with cheers and clapping.

It doesn't take long for her to immediately take hold of Kol's arm and drag him to a quiet spot within the house - hopefully from the listening ears of the vampires lurking about. She pulls the man in towards her as she hisses her next words lowly.

"Kol, I don't know what you did or what you're trying to hide, but you…" But before Bonnie could rant and rave about Kol's unusual behavior, she immediately finds herself being presented with a small black box lined with a silver middle. It took no time to come to the conclusion that it was indeed a ring box. Bonnie glares at the box suspicious before arching a brow at the vampire before her. "What is that?" she asks.

"You know what it is," Kol responds back quickly.

"Why are you giving it to me?"

"Because its you birthday."

"Bullshit." Bonnie goes to cross her arms over her chest, "don't tell me you've suddenly grown nice in a mere hour."

"No."

"Then take your gift back, cause I don't want it."

"You do want it." Kol proceeds to open the box and reveals a beautiful jade ring inside. It looks rather similar to that of the Salvatores' enchanted rings that they use to walk into the sun.

"What is this?" Bonnie asks nervously, not sure anymore where Kol was going with this whole thing.

"It's your heritage…long since lost until about a day ago." The look of confusion is something Kol can only chuckle at. "I always knew I had something of Amelia's, I just couldn't remember what exactly. Then I came across this ring in my mother's room along with that Grimoire we snuck out of here. It started to come back to me."

Bonnie examines the ring still in the box but doesn't dare go to retrieve it. "This was Amelia's ring?"

"Yes and no." Kol answers with narrow eyes, hating his foggy memory. "She possessed it when I had met her, yes. But its origins date back way before Amelia…before Emily."

"What is it?"

"It's your family crest…your legacy literally in the palm of your hand."

Bonnie, though still reluctant to take hold of the ring, reaches up and holds the silver and jade jewelry in between her small fingers. "I didn't even know I had a family crest," she says aloud.

"Many things caused a great number of rings to go missing - slavery, broken families, lack of resources to make them. But the biggest blow of it all was the ignorance your family line had of the crest in the first place." Bonnie merely perched her lips at the word "ignorance"…certainly a harsh word to use. "As far as I know, this is the only ring left. Now I'm giving it to you."

"Why?" Bonnie asks.

"Because Amelia obviously has no further use for it, and it is your families to begi-"

"No, I mean why are you all of a sudden nice to me?" Kol tilts his head to the side and furrows his brows at the girl's question. "After everything you said and all the threats you gave…now you want to give me jewelry."

"I'm giving you a piece of your family legacy, and you still question me?"

"I won't be bribed into liking you, no matter what you give me."

Kol lets out a disgruntled chuckle. "Well at least you're becoming more assertive. I guess that's good." He looks down at the woman, biting his bottom lip and keeping from speaking the truth. In all honestly, this is Kol's way of saying he's sorry; Sorry for straining he and Bonnie's partnership more than it needed to be, but that was it. Nothing more…nothing less. "Look, either wear the ring on your finger or shove it up you ass, I don't care at this point. Just take it."

Bonnie stands there, looking Kol deep in his dark eyes. She doesn't break her eye sight with him once, even as she slowly begins to slide the ring onto one of her fingers. "I won't say thank you for something that's technically mine." Kol merely smirks at the girl's comment.

"I wouldn't expect you to stoop to that level for dear ol' me." The both of them remain quiet again, still staring each other in the eyes, waiting for one of them to break eye contact first.

"That cake was a bit much," the girl says with an arched brow which brings about a wider smirk from Kol.

"Well the pastry shop only had enough frosting for a 'W' as opposed to the 'B' I initially wanted." Bonnie looks unpleased with the man's words that he wastes no time laughing at. Stretching his arm out and pressing his palm out against the wall behind her, Kol leans forward and speaks coolly in Bonnie's face. "Oh, stop being so serious all the time. Look…you got a birthday present, a birthday gift, a birthday party, and a new book of spells. What more could you ask for?" There are a tone of things that immediately come to mind, but Bonnie decides to go against sharing those thoughts.

"And what do you get out of all of this?" she asks suspiciously.

"Do you always think me to have ulterior motives?"

"Yes." Her response is blunt.

"Smart girl…though sadly there's nothing for me to gain this evening other than pissing off my siblings and stealing my mother's Grimoire."

"And this party is just icing on the cake." It wasn't a question. Kol smiles at the woman, impressed with her assertions.

"I think there's hope for you yet, witch."

"Bonnie…my name is Bonnie."

The vampire merely rolls his eyes as he steps away from the woman and stretches out a hand for her to take. "Then, Bonnie, humor a vampire and help him enjoy his first eighteenth birthday party ever." She looks at the hand cautiously, not sure taking the hand of a devil will be the wisest thing to do. But she has to follow through…prove to herself that she's able to do what needed to be done to keep everyone safe and sound. Her friends will not understand it and that's alright. So long as they were alive to cast their doubt upon her, she didn't care.

Reaching out and taking hold of Kol's hand with her own, she inches closer to him as they slowly begin to make their way back to the party.

"This doesn't mean we're at all friends," she reminds him between a forced smile. "This is strictly business."

Kol scoffs at the woman's reminder as he pulls her in closer to him. "Dully noted."

* * *

><p><strong>Pretty heavy with dialog, but I think KolBonnie needed a bit more serious conversation to get deeper into each others' minds. I also tried to steer Bonnie as far away from Amelia as possible, forcing Kol to see her for being simply Bonnie Bennett. I know many of you were worried about the scenario mimicking that of Damon/Katherine/Elena, so I went about changing that. Nobody wants history repeating itself, right?**


End file.
